3  1822  01050  5972 


3  1822  01050  5972 

•  Of* 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


By  the  Author  of 

"THE    WIDE    WIDE     WORLD.' 


THE    OLD    HELMET. 

A  TALE.    $2.25. 

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II. 

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become  ever  after  a  part  of  ourselves.  The  little  girl,  around  whom  the 
interest  centres  in  "  Melbourne  House,"  is  called  "  Daisy."  We  predict 
for  her  as  great  a  success  as  attended  any  of  her  sisters. 

m. 
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to  see  them  in  the  circumstances  and  coloring,  the  light  and  shade,  of 
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most  cordially."  —  S.  S.  Times. 

IV. 

WHAT    SHE    COULD. 

A  TALE.    16mo.    3  Illustrations.    $1.25. 
V. 

OPPORTUNITIES. 

A  Sequel  to  "  What  She  Could."    $1.25. 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


A  SEQUEL  TO  "WHAT  SHE  COULD." 


BY 

THE  AUTHOR   0¥ 
THE    WIDE    WIDE    WORLD." 


«'  Whatsoever  thy  hand  flndeth  to  do,  do  it."  —  Ecc.  ix.  10. 


NEW    YORK: 

ROBERT   CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

530.  BROADWAY. 

1871. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871,  by 

ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


CAMBRIDGE : 
PRESS  OF  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

TT  was  the  morning  after  that  Sunday  when 
Matilda  had  been  baptized.  The  girls 
came  down  to  prepare  breakfast  as  usual ; 
Maria  in  a  very  unsettled  humour.  She 
was  cloudy  and  captious  to  a  degree  that 
Matilda  could  not  understand.  The  kitchen 
was  hot ;  the  butter  was  soft ;  the  milk  was 
turned;  the  bread  was  dry.  All  things  went 
wrong. 

"  It  is  no  wonder  the  bread  is  dry,"  said 
Matilda ;  "  it  has  been  baked  ever  since  last 
Friday." 

"  Thursday.     I  didn't  say  it  was  a  wonder. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871,  by 

ROBERT  CARTER  AND  BROTHERS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


CAMBRIDGE : 
PRESS  OF  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

TT  was  the  morning  after  that  Sunday  when 
Matilda  had  been  baptized.  The  girls 
came  down  to  prepare  breakfast  as  usual; 
Maria  in  a  very  unsettled  humour.  She 
was  cloudy  and  captious  to  a  degree  that 
Matilda  could  not  understand.  The  kitchen 
was  hot ;  the  butter  was  soft ;  the  milk  was 
turned ;  the  bread  was  dry.  All  things  went 
wrong. 

"  It  is  no  wonder  the  bread  is  dry,"  said 
Matilda ;  "  it  has  been  baked  ever  since  last 
Friday." 

"  Thursday.     I  didn't  say  it  was  a  wonder. 


6  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Aunt  Candy  will  have  the  bread  dry.  I  hate 
it!" 

"  And  it  is  no  wonder  the  butter  is  soft,  if 
you  keep  it  up  here  in  the  kitchen.  The 
kitchen  must  be  hot,  with  this  hot  stove. 
But  the  milkman  will  be  along  directly." 

"  No,  he  won't.  We  always  have  to  wait 
for  him ;  or  take  the  old  milk.  And  I  can't 
be  bothered  to  keep  the  butter  down  cellar  and 
be  running  for  it  fifty  times  in  an  hour.  I 
have  enough  to  do  as  it  is.  Whatever  pos 
sessed  aunt  Erminia  to  want  corn  bread  this 
morning!  " 

"  Does  she  want  corn  bread  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  corn  bread  is  nice.    I  am  glad  of  it." 

"  You  wouldn't  be  glad  if  you  had  to  make 
it.  There!  I  knew  it  would  be  so.  There 
isn't  a  speck  of  soda.  Put  on  your  bonnet, 
Matilda,  and  run  round  to  Mr.  Sample's  and 
get  some  soda,  will  you  ?  —  and  be  quick. 
We  shall  be  late,  and  then  there  will  be  a 
row." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  7 

"  There  won't  be  a  row,  Maria.  Aunt 
Candy  is  always  quiet." 

"  I  wish  she  wouldn't,  then.  I  hate  people 
who  are  always  quiet.  I  would  rather  they 
would  flare  out  now  and  then.  It's  safer." 

"  For  what  ?     Safer,  Maria  ?  " 

"  Do  go  along  and  get  your  soda ! "  ex 
claimed  Maria.  "  Do  you  think  it  will  be 
safe  to  be  late  with  breakfast  ?  " 

Maria  was  so  evidently  out  of  order  this 
morning,  that  her  sister  thought  the  best  way 
was  to  let  her  alone ;  only  she  asked,  "  Aren't 
you  well,  Maria?"  and  got  a  sharp  answer; 
then  she  went  out. 

It  was  a  delicious  spring  morning.  T^he  air 
stirred  in  her  face  its  soft  and  glad  breaths  of 
sweetness ;  the  sunlight  was  the  very  essence 
of  promise ;  the  village  and  the  green  trees, 
now  out  in  leaf,  shone  and  basked  in  the  fair 
day.  It  was  better  than  breakfast,  to  be  out 
in  the  air.  Matilda  went  round  the  corner, 
into  Butternut  street,  and  made  for  Mr. 
Sample's  grocery  store,  every  step  being  a 


8  OPPORTUNITIES. 

delight.  Why  could  not  the  inside  world  be 
as  pleasant  as.  the  outside  ?  Matilda  was 
musing  and  wishing,  when  just  before  she 
reached  Mr.  Sample's  door,  she  saw  what 
made  her  forget  everything  else ;  even  the 
mischievous  little  boy  who  belonged  to  Mrs. 
Dow.  What  was  he  doing  here  in  Butternut 
street?  Matilda's  steps  slackened.  The  boy 
knew  her,  for  he  looked  and  then  grinned, 
and  then  bringing  a  finger  alongside  of  his 
nose  in  a  peculiar  and  mysterious  expressive 
ness,  he  repeated  his  old  words,  — 

"  Ain't  you  green  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  dare  say 
I  am."  What  then  ?  Green  is  not  the  worst 
colour." 

The  boy  looked  at  her,  a  little  confounded. 

"  If  you  would  come  to  Sunday  school," 
Matilda  went  on,  "  you  would  be  a  better 
colour  than  you  are, —  by  and  by." 

"  What  colour  be  I  ?  "  said  the  boy. 

"  You'd  be  a  better  colour,"  said  Matilda. 
"  Just  come  and  see." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  9 

"  I  ain't  green,"  the  boy  remonstrated. 

Matilda  passed  on,. went  into  Mr.  Sample's 
and  got  her  soda.  She  had  a  few  cents  of 
change.  A  thought  came  into  her  head. 
Peeping  out,  she  saw  that  Mrs.  Dow's  boy 
was  still  lingering  where  she  had  left  him. 
Immediately  Matilda  requested  to  have  the 
worth  of  those  cents  in  sugared  almonds; 
and  with  her  little  packages  went  into  the 
street  again.  The  boy  eyed  her. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  said  Matilda. 

"  Hain't  got  none." 

"  Yes,  you  have.  What  does  your  mother 
call  you  at  home  ?  " 

"  She  calls  me  —  the  worst  of  all  her 
plagues,"  said  the  fellow,  grinning. 

"  No,  no ;  but  when  she  calls  you  from 
somewhere  —  what  does  she  call  you?" 

"  She  calls  me  out  of  the  garding,  and 
down  from  the  attic." 

"  Look  here,"  said  Matilda,  shewing  a 
sugarplum ;  "  I'll  give  you  that,  if  you  will 
tell  me." 


10  OPPORTUNITIES. 

The  boy  eyed  it,  and  her,  and  finally 
said,  — 

«  Lem." 

"  Your  name  is  Lem  ?  " 

He  nodded. 

"  There,  Lem,  is  a  sugarplum  for  you. 
Now  if  you'll  come  to  Sunday  school  next 
Sunday,  and  stay  and  behave  yourself,  I'll 
give  you  three  more." 

"  Three  more?"  said  the  boy. 

"  Yes.     Now  come,  and  you'll  like  it." 

And  Matilda  sped  home  with  her  soda. 

"  I  should  think  you  had  been  making  the 
soda,"  said  Maria ;  "  you  have  been  long 
enough.  What  kept  you  ?" 

"  How  do  they  make  soda,  I  wonder  ? " 
said  Matilda,  looking  at  it.  "  Do  you  know, 
Maria?" 

"  I  have  enough  to  do  to  know  how  to  get 
breakfast.  Tilly,  run  and  grind  the  coffee  and 
make  it,  —  quick,  will  you  ?  now  I  am  in  a 
hurry." 

Matilda  thought  Maria  might  have  done  it 


OPPORTUNITIES.  1 1. 

herself,  while  she  was  waiting  for  the  soda. 
But  she  said  nothing  of  that.  In  ten  minutes 
more  the  coffee  was  made,  the  corn  bread  was 
ready,  and  the  ladies  came  down. 

Matilda  was  in  a  mood  as  gentle  as  the 
morning,  and  almost  as  cloudless.  Her 
morning's  work  and  walk  and  the  meeting 
with  Lem  Dow  had  given  her  an  appetite ; 
and  the  work  of  the  night  before  had  left  a 
harmony  in  her  spirit,  as  if  sweet  music  were 
sounding  there.  Her  little  face  was  thus  like 
the  very  morning  itself,  shining  with  the  fair 
shining  of  inward  beauty  ;  in  contrast  with 
all  the  other  faces  at  the  table.  For  Clarissa's 
features  were  coldly  handsome  and  calm ; 
Mrs.  Candy's  were  set  and  purposeful ;  and 
poor  Maria's  were  sadly  clouded  and  out  of 
humour.  Matilda  took  little  heed  of  them  all ; 
she  was  thinking  of  Lemuel  Dow. 

"  Matilda,"  said  her  aunt  suddenly,  —  "I 
wish  you  to  come  to  me  every  morning  to 
read.  A  person  who  has  taken  the  step  you 
took  last  night,  is  no  longer  a  child,  but 


1 2  OPPORTUNITIES. 

deserves  to  be  treated  as  a  woman.  It  is 
necessary  that  you  should  fit  yourself  for  a 
woman's  place.  Come  to  me  at  ten  o'clock. 
I  will  have  you  read  to  me  some  books  that 
will  make  you  better  understand  the  things 
you  have  taken  upon  you,  and  the  things  you 
have  done." 

"  Why  I  am  a  child  yet,  aunt  Candy," 
Matilda  answered  in  some  dismay. 

"  You  think  so,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  —  I  feel  so  ;  and  I  am" 

"  I  thought  you  considered  yourself  more 
than  a  child.  But  you  have  assumed  a 
woman's  place,  and  it  is  now  necessary  that 
you  should  be  fitted  for  it.  I  think  the  best 
way  is  to  get  the  preparation  first ;  but  in 
your  church,  it  seems,  they  prefer  the  other 
course.  You  are  under  my  care  in  the 
house,  at  any  rate,  and  I  shall  do  my  duty  by 
you." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  aunt  Candy," 
Matilda  spoke,  quite  bewildered. 

"  No,   my  dear,  I   suppose    not.     That   is 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 3 

just  what  I  think  so  objectionable.  But  we 
will  do  what  we  can  to  remedy  it." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  prepare  me  for, 
aunt  Erminia  ?  " 

"  For  your  position,  my  dear,  as  a  member 
of  the  church.  That  is  not  a  child's  position. 
You  have  placed  yourself  in  it ;  and  now  the 
question  is  how  to  enable  you  to  maintain  it 
properly.  I  cannot  treat  you  as  a  child  any 
longer." 

Matilda  wondered  very  much  how  she  was 
to  be  treated.  However,  silence  seemed  the 
wisest  plan  at  present. 

"  I  suppose  /  am  a  child  still,"  remarked 
Maria. 

"  I  have  never  observed  anything  inconsist 
ent  with  that  supposition,  my  dear,"  her  aunt 
serenely  answered. 

"  And  if  I  had  been  baptized  last  night, 
you  would  have  more  respect  for  me,"  went 
on  poor  Maria. 

"  My  respect  is  not  wholly  dependent  on 
forms,  my  dear.  If  it  had  been  done  in  a 


14  OPPORTUNITIES. 

proper  way,  of  course,  things  would  be  dif 
ferent  from  what  they  are.  I  should  have 
more  respect  for  you." 

"  Clarissa  has  done  it  in  a  proper  way,  I 
suppose?  " 

"  When  she  was  of  a  proper  age,  —  yes ; 
certainly." 

"  And  then,  what  did  she  promise  ?  All 
that  they  promised  last  night  ?  " 

"  The  vows  are  much  the  same." 

"  Well,  people  ought  not  to  make  vows 
till  they  are  ready  to  keep  them  —  ought 
they  ?  " 

"  Certainly  they  should  not." 

«  Well "  — 

"  My  dear,  it  is  a  very  bad  habit  to  begin 
every  sentence  with  a  '  well.'  You  do  it 
constantly." 

"  Well,  aunt  Candy  "  — 

"There!"  exclaimed  Clarissa.     "  A^ain." 

o 

"  Well,  I  don't  care,"  said  Maria.  "  I  can't 
help  it.  I  don't  know  when  I  do  it.  I  was 
going  to  ask,  —  and  you  put  everything  out 


OPPORTUNITIES.  15 

of  my  head.  —  Aunt  Candy,  do  you  think 
Clarissa  has  given  up,  really,  the  pomps  and 
vanities  and  all  that,  you  know  ?  She  spent 
twenty-four  dollars,  I  heard  her  say,  on  the 
trimming  of  that  muslin  dress ;  and  she 
bought  a  parasol  the  other  day  for  ten  dollars, 
when  one  for  three  would  have  done  perfectly 
well ;  and  she  pays  always  twelve  dollars  for 
her  boots,  twelve  and  ten  dollars ;  when  she 
could  get  nice  ones  for  four  and  five.  Now 
what's  that?" 

"  It's  impertinence,"  said  Clarissa.  "  And 
untruth ;  for  the  four  and  five  dollar  boots 
hurt  my  feet." 

"  They  are  exactly  the  same,"  said  Maria  ; 
"  except  the  kid  and  the  trimming  and  the 
beautiful  making." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Clarissa,  "  I  have  a  right 
to  wear  comfortable  shoes,  if  I  can  get 
them." 

"  Then  you  have  a  right  to  pomps  and 
vanities,"  returned  Maria;  "but  I  say  you 
haven't  a  right,  after  you  have  declared  and 


1 6  OPPORTUNITIES. 

sworn  you  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them." 

"  Mamma,"  said  Clarissa,  but  with  height 
ened  colour,  —  "  Is  this  a  child  ?  " 

"  After  the  Shadywalk  pattern,"  Mrs.  Can 
dy  answered. 

"  Girls  in  Shadywalk  have  a  little  sense, 
when  they  get  to  be  as  old  as  sixteen,"  Maria 
went  on.  "  Where  you  have  ,been,  perhaps 
they  do  not  grow  up  so  fast." 
.  "  People  would  put  weights  on  their  heads 
if  they  did,"  said  Clarissa. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  said  Maria.  "  You 
can  imagine  that  I  am  as  old  as  you  are ;  and 
I  say,  that  it  is  more  respectable  not  to  make 
promises  and  vows  than  to  make  them  and 
not  keep  them." 

"  Do  not  answer  her,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Candy. 

"  And  that  is  the  reason  why  I  have  not 
been  baptized,  or  whatever  you  call  it  "  — - 

"  I  never  said  so,  Maria,"  said  her  aunt. 
"  The  two  things  are  not  the  same." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 7 

"  Imagine  it!  "  said  Clarissa. 

"  Well,  you  said  just  now  —  I  don't  know 
what  you  said !  —  but  you  said  at  any  rate 
that  if  it  had  been  done  in  a  proper  way,  you 
would  think  more  of  me;  and  /  say,  that  it 
is  better  not  to  make  vows  till  you  are  ready 
to  keep  them.  I  am  not  ready  to  give  up 
dancing ;  and  I  would  have  expensive  hats 
and  dresses,  and  feathers,  and  watches,  and 
chains,  and  everything  pretty  that  money  can 
buy,  if  I  had  the  money ;  and  I  like  them ; 
and  I  want  them." 

"  I  have  not  given  up  dancing,"  said  Cla 
rissa. 

"  Nor  other  things  either,"  retorted  Maria ; 
"  but  they  are  pomps  and  vanities.  That  is 
what  I  say.  You  promised  you  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  them." 

"  Mamma  !  "  said  Clarissa  appealingly. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  said  her  mother.  "  The 
amount  of  ignorance  in  Maria's  words  dis 
courages  rne  from  trying  to  answer  them." 

"  Ignorance  and  superstition,  mamma." 


1 8  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  And  superstition,"  —  said  Mrs.  Candy. 

"  Matilda  thinks  just  the  same  way," 
Clarissa  went  on,  meeting  the  broad  open, 
astonished  eyes  of  the  little  girl. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  Matilda  is 
too  much  a  child  to  exercise  her  own  judg 
ment  on  these  matters.  She  just  takes  what 
has  been  told  her." 

"  Have  you  given  up  dancing  too,  Tilly  ?  " 
Clarissa  went  on. 

"  I  have  never  thought  about  it,  cousin 
Clarissa." 

"  Matilda  all  over ! "  exclaimed  the  young 
lady.  "  She  has  not  thought  about  it,  mam 
ma.  When  she  thinks  about  it,  she  will  know 
what  her  part  is." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  She 
might  do  worse." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I  can't  think,"  said 
poor  Maria. 

"  No,  my  dear ;  I  only  think  you  have  not 
begun  yet  to  use  your  power  in  that  direction. 
When  you  do,  you  will  see  things  differently 
At  least  I  hope  so." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 9 

"  It  would  take  a  good  deal  of  thinking,  to 
make  me  see  that  giving  up  the  world  and 
going  into  it  were  the  same  thing,"  said 
Maria.  "  And  I  don't  mean  to  promise  to  do 
it  till  I'm  ready." 

"  Mamma,  this  is  not  very  pleasant,"  said 
Clarissa. 

"  No,  my  dear.  We  will  leave  the  field  to 
Maria.  Come  to  me  at  ten  o'clock,  Matilda." 

The  two  ladies  filed  off  upstairs,  and 
Maria  sat  down  to  cry.  Matilda  began  to 
clear  the  table,  going  softly  back  and  forth 
between  the  basement  and  the  kitchen  as  if 
there  were  trouble  in  the  house.  Maria  sobbed. 

"  Ain't  they  mean  ! "  she  exclaimed,  start 
ing  up  at  length.  Matilda  was  busy  going  in 
and  out,  and  said  nothing. 

"  Matilda !  Why  don't  you  speak  ?  I  say, 
ain't  they  mean  ?  " 

"  There's  no  use  in  talking  so,  Maria,"  said 
her  little  sister,  looking  sorrowful. 

"  Yes,  there  is.  People  ought  to  hear  the 
truth." 


20  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  But  if  you  know  what  is  right,  why  don't 
you  do  it,  Maria  ?  " 

«  I  do  —  as  well  as  I  can." 

"  But  Maria  !  —  I  mean,  about  what  you 
were  saying ;  giving  up  whatever  is  not  right." 

"  Things  are  right  for  other  people,  that 
are  not  right  for  members  of  the  church. 
That's  why  I  want  to  wait  awhile.  I  am 
not  ready." 

"  But  Maria  —  what  makes  them  right  for 
other  people  ?  " 

"  They  have  not  promised  anything  about 
them.  Clarissa  has  ytromised,  and  she  don't 
do." 

"  You  have  not  promised." 

"  No,  of  course  I  haven't." 

"  But  if  they  are  right  things,  Maria,  why 
should  you,  or  anybody,  promise  not  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  them  ?  " 

"  O  you  are  too  wise,  Matilda ! "  her 
sister  answered  impatiently.  "  There  is  no 
need  for  you  to  go  to  read  with  aunt  Candy ; 
you  know  everything  already." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  21 

The  rest  of  the  morning  was  very  silent 
between  the  sisters,  till  it  came  to  the  time 
for  Matilda  to  present  herself  in  her  aunt's 
room.  There  meanwhile  a  consultation  had 
been  held. 

"Mamma,  that  girl  is  getting  unendurable." 

"  Must  wait  a  little  while,  my  dear." 

"  What  will  you  do  with  her  then  ?  " 

"  Something.  1  can  send  her  to  school,  at 
any  rate." 

"  But  the  expense,  mamma  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  much,  at  the  district  school. 
That  is  where  she  has  been  going 

«  Matilda  too  ?" 

"  I  suppose  that  will  be  the  best  place.  I 
am  not  sure  about  sending  Matilda.  She's 
a  fine  child." 

"  She  will  be  handsome,  mamma." 

"  She  is  very  graceful  now.  She  has  a 
singular  manner." 

"  But  she  is  spoiled,  mamma!" 

"  I  shall  un-spoil  her.  Tilly  is  very  young 
yet,  and  she  has  not  had  enough  to  do.  I 


22  OPPORTUNITIES. 

shall  give  her  something  else  to  think  of,  and 
get  these  absurdities  out  of  her  head.  She 
just  wants  something  to  do." 

"  Mamma,  she  is  not  an  easy  child  to  in 
fluence.  She  says  so  little  and  keeps  her 
own  counsel.  I  think  you  don't  know  her." 

"  I  never  saw  the  child  yet  that  was  a 
match  for  me,"  said  Mrs.  Candy  complacently. 
"  I  like  best  one  that  has  some  stuff  in  her. 
Maria  is  a  wet  sponge  ;  you  can  squeeze  her 
dry  in  a  minute  \  no  character,  no  substance. 
Matilda  is  different.  I  should  like  to  keep 
Tilly." 

"  If  you  could  keep  her  out  of  Mr.  Rich 
mond's  influence,  mamma,  it  would  be  a  help. 
That  church  ruins  her.  She  will  be  fit  for 
nothing." 

"  I  will  take  the  nonsense  out  of  her,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy.  "  I  cannot  take  her  out  of  the 
church,  while  we  remain  here,  for  that  would 
raise  a  hue  and  cry ;  but  I  will  do  as  well. 
Here  she  comes." 

A  little  soft  knock  at  the  door  was  followed 


OPPORTUNITIES.  23 

by  the  little  girl  herself;  looking  demure  and 
s\veet,  after  her  fashion  lately.  It  used  to  be 
arch  and  sweet.  But  Matilda  had  been  very 
sober  since  her  mother's  death.  The  room 
into  which  she  came  had  an  air  now  very 
unlike  all  the  rest  of  the  house.  Mrs.  Engle- 
field's  modest  preparations  for  the  comfort  of 
her  guests  were  quite  overlaid  and  lost  sight 
of.  It  was  as  if  some  fairy  had  shaken  her 
hand  over  the  room  and  let  fall  pleasant 
things  everywhere.  On  the  Marseilles  quilt 
a  gorgeous  silk  coverlet  lay  folded.  On  the 
dressing  table  a  confusion  of  vases  and 
bottles,  in  coloured  glass  and  painted  china, 
were  mixed  up  with  combs  and  brushes  and 
fans  and  watch  pockets  and  taper  stands. 
The  table  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  was 
heaped  with  elegant  books  and  trinkets  and 
work-boxes  and  writing  implements ;  and 
book  stands  and  book  shelves  were  about, 
and  soft  foot  cushions  were  dropped  on  the 
carpet,  and  easy  arm  chairs  stood  conveniently, 
and  some  faint  perfume  breathed  all  through 


24  OPPORTUNITIES. 

the  room.  Mrs.  Candy  was  in  one  arm  chair 
and  Clarissa  in  another. 

Matilda  was  bidden  to  take  a  cricket,  which 
she  privately  resented,  and  then  her  aunt 
placed  in  her  hands  a  largish  volume  and 
pointed  her  to  the  page  where  she  was  to 
begin.  Glancing  up  and  down,  at  the  top  of 
the  page  and  the  beginning  of  the  book, 
Matilda  found  it  was  a  treatise,  or  a  collection 
of  advices,  for  the  instruction  of  persons  about 
to  be  received  into  the  church.  Not  a  little 
dismayed  by  this  discovery,  no  less  than  by 
the  heavy  look  of  the  pages,  Matilda  however 
began  her  reading.  It  was  dragging  work, 
as  she  expected.  Her  thoughts  wandered. 
What  could  her  aunt  think  she  wanted  with 
this,  when  she  had  Mr.  Richmond's  instruc 
tions  ?  What  could  these  ponderous  reason 
ings  be  expected  to  add  to  his  words  ?  The 
immediate  effect  of  them  certainly  was  not 
salutary  to  Matilda's  mind. 

"  My  dear,  you  do  not  read  so  well  as 
usual,"  her  aunt  said  at  length. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  25 

Matilda  paused,  glad  to  stop  even  for  a 
little. 

"  Your  sentences  come  heavily  from  your 
tongue." 

"  Yes.     They  are  heavy,  aunt  Candy." 

"  My  dear !  Those  are  the  words  of  the 
Rev.  Benjamin  Orderly  —  a  very  famous 
writer,  and  loved  by  all  good  people.  Those 
are  excellent  words  that  you  have  been  read 
ing." 

Matilda  said  nothing  further. 

"  Did  you  understand  them  ?  " 

"  They  did  not  interest  me,  aunt  Candy." 

"  My  dear,  they  ought  to  interest  one  who 
has  just  taken  such  a  step  as  you  have 
taken." 

Matilda  wondered  privately  whether  being 
baptized  ought  properly  to  have  any  effect  to 
change  the  natural  taste  and  value  of  things ; 
but  she  did  not  answer. 

"  You  understood  what  you  read,  did 
you?" 

Matilda  coloured  a  little. 


26  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Aunt  Candy,  it  was  not  interesting,  and 
I  did  not  think  about  it." 

Mrs.  Candy  drew  the  book  severely  from 
Matilda's  hand. 

"  After  taking  such  a  step  as  you  took  last 
night,  you  ought  to  try  to  be  interested,  if  it 
were  only  for  consistency's  sake.  Do  you  see 
that  you  were  hasty  ?  A  person  who  does 
not  care  about  the  privileges  and  duties  of 
church  membership  most  certainly  ought  not 
to  be  a  church  member." 

"  But  aunt  Candy,  I  do  care,"  said  Matilda. 

"  So  it  seems." 

"  I  care  about  it  as  the  Bible  speaks  of  it ; 
and  as  Mr.  Richmond  talks  about  it." 

"  You  are  very  fond  of  Mr.  Richmond,  I 
know." 

Matilda  added  nothing  to  that,  and  there 
was  a  pause. 

"  Do  you  want  anything  more  of  me,  aunt 
Candy?" 

"  Yes.  I  want  to  teach  you  something 
useful.  Here  are  a  quantity  of  stockings  of 


OPPORTUNITIES.  27 

yours  that  need  mending.  I  am  going  to 
shew  you  how  to  mend  them.  Go  and  get 
your  work-box  and  bring  it  here." 

"  Couldn't  you  tell  me  what  you  want  me 
to  do,  aunt  Candy,  and  let  me  go  and  do  it 
where  Maria  is  ?  " 

"No.  Maria  is  busy.  And  I  have  got  to 
take  a  good  deal  of  pains  to  teach  you,  Tilly, 
what  I  want  you  to  know.  Go  fetch  your 
box  and  work  things." 

Matilda  slowly  went.  It  was  so  pleasant 
to  be  out  of  that  perfumed  room  and  out  of 
sight  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Orderly's  writings.  She 
lingered  in  the  passages ;  looked  over  the 
balusters  and  listened,  hoping  that  by  some 
happy  chance  Maria  might  make  some  de 
mand  upon  her.  None  came ;  the  house  was 
still;  and  Matilda  had  to  go  back  to  her  aunt. 
She  felt  like  a  prisoner. 

"  Now  I  suppose  you  have  no  darning 
cotton,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  Here  is  a  needle 
ful.  Thread  it,  and  then  I  will  shew  you 
what  next." 


2  8  OPPOR  TUNITIES. 

"  This  is  three  or  four  needlefuls,  aunt 
Candy.  I  will  break  it.  T  cannot  sew  with 
such  a  thread." 

"  Stop.  Yes,  you  can.  Don't  break  it.  I 
will  shew  you.  Thread  your  needle." 

"  I  haven't  one  big  enough." 

That  want  was  supplied. 

"  Now  you  shall  begin  with  running  this 
heel,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  See,  you  shall  put 
this  marble  egg  into  the  stocking,  to  darn 
upon.  Now  look  here.  You  begin  down 
here,  at  the  middle,  so,  —  and  take  up  only 
one  thread  at  a  stitch,  do  you  see  ?  and  skip 
so  many  threads  each  time,"  — 

"  But  there  is  no  hole  there,  aunt  Erminia." 

"  I  know  that.  Heels  should  always  be  run 
before  they  come  to  holes.  There  are  half-a- 
dozen  heels  here,  I  should  think,  that  require 
to  be  run.  Now  do  you  see  how  I  do  it  ? 
You  may  take  the  stocking,  and  when  you 
have  darned  a  few  rows,  come  and  let  me  see 
how  you  get  on." 

Matilda  in  a  small  fit  of  despair  took  the 


OPPORTUNITIES.  29 

stocking  to  a  little  distance  and  sat  down  to 
work.  The  marble  egg  was  heavy  to  hold. 
It  took  a  long  while  to  go  up  one  side  of  the 
heel  and  down  the  other.  She  was  tired  of 
sitting  under  constraint  and  so  still.  And 
her  aunt  Candy  seemed  like  a  jailer,  and  that 
perfumed  room  like  a  prison.  The  quicker 
her  work  could  be  done,  the  better  for  her. 
So  Matilda  reflected,  and  her  needle  went 
accordingly. 

"  I  have  done  it,  aunt  Erminia,"  she  pro 
claimed  at  last. 

"Done  the  heel?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  You  cannot  possibly.  Come  here  and  let 
me  look  at  it.  Why,  of  course  !  That  is  not 
done  as  I  shewed  you,  Tilly ;  these  rows  of 
darning  should  be  close  together,  one  stitch 
just  in  the  middle  between  two  other  stitches ; 
you  have  just  gone  straggling  over  the  whole 
heel.  That  will  have  to  come  all  out." 

"  But  there  is  no  hole  in  it,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Always  dam  before  the  holes  come.     That 


30  OPPORTUNITIES. 

will  not  do.  You  must  pick  it  all  out, 
Tilly." 

"  Now  ?  "  said  Matilda  despairingly. 

"  Certainly,  now.  You  make  yourself 
trouble  in  that  way.  I  am  sorry.  Pick  it 
all  neatly  out." 

Matilda  went  at  it  impatiently ;  tugged  at 
the  thread ;  pulled  the  heel  of  her  stocking 
into  a  very  intricate  drawn-up  state ;  then  had 
to  smooth  it  out  again  with  difficulty. 

"  This  is  very  hard  to  come  out,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,  it  is  bad  picking,"  said  her  aunt 
composedly. 

Matilda  was  very  impatient  and  very  weary 
besides.  However,  work  did  it,  in  time. 

"  Now  see  if  you  can  do  it  better,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy. 

"Now,  aunt  Erminia?" 

"  Certainly.  It  is  your  own  fault  that  you 
have  made  such  a  business  of  it.  You  should 
have  done  as  I  told  you." 

"  But  I  am  very  tired." 

"  I  dare  say  you  are." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  3 1 

Matilda  was  very  much  in  the  mind  to  cry ; 
but  that  would  not  have  mended  matters,  and 
would  have  hurt  her  pride  besides.  She  went 
earnestly  to  work  with  her  darning  needle 
instead.  She  could  use  it  nicely,  she  found, 
with  giving  pains  and  time  enough.  But  it 
took  a  great  while  to  do  a  little.  Up  one  side 
and  down  the  other;  then  up  that  side  and 
down  the  first;  threading  long  double  needle 
fuls,  and  having  them  used  up  with  great 
rapidity ;  Matilda  seemed  to  grow  into  a 
darning  machine.  She  was  very  still ;  only  a 
deep  drawn  long  breath  now  and  then  heaved 
her  little  breast.  Impatience  faded  however, 
and  a  sort  of  dulness  crept  over  her.  At 
last  she  became  very  tired,  so  tired  that  pride 
gave  way  and  she  said  so. 

Mrs.  Candy  remarked  that  she  was 
sorry. 

"  Aunt  Candy,  I  think  Maria  may  want  me 
by  this  time." 

"  Yes.      That  is  of  no  consequence." 

"  Maria  has  got  no  one  to  help  her." 


3  2  OPPOR  TUNITIES. 

"  She  will  not  hurt  herself,"  Clarissa  ob 
served. 

"  Aunt  Erminia,  wouldn't  you  just  as  lieve 
T  should  finish  this  by  and  by  ?  " 

"  I  will  think  of  that,"  said  her  aunt.  "  All 
you  have  to  do,  is  to  work  on." 

"  I  am  very  tired  of  it!" 

"  That  is  not  a  reason  for  stopping,  my  dear. 
Rather  the  contrary.  One  must  learn  to  do 
things  after  one  is  tired.  That  is  a  lesson 
I  learned  a  great  while  ago." 

"  I  cannot  work  so  well  or  so  fast,  when  I 
am  tired,"  said  Matilda. 

"  And  I  cannot  work  at  all  while  you  are 
talking  to  me." 

Matilda's  slow  fingers  drew  the  needle  in 
and  out  for  some  time  longer.  Then  to  her 
great  joy,  the  dinner  bell  rang. 

"  What  does  Maria  mean  ? "  said  Mrs. 
Candy  looking  at  her  watch.  ."  It  wants  an 
hour  of  dinner  time.  Run  and  see  what  it  is, 
Matilda." 

Matilda  ran  downstairs. 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


33 


"  Do  you  think  I  have  five  pairs  of  hands  ?  " 
inquired  Maria  indignantly.  "  It  is  nice  for 
you  to  be  playing  upstairs,  and  I  working  as 
hard  as  I  can  in  the  kitchen !  I  won't  stand 
this,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  Playing ! "  echoed  Matilda.  «  Well,  Maria, 
what  do  you  want  done  ?  " 

"  Look  and  see.  You  have  eyes.  About 
everything  is  to  be  done.  There's  the  castors 
to  put  in  order,  and  the  lettuce  to  get  ready  — 
I  wish  lettuce'wouldn't  grow !  —  and  the  table 
to  set,  and  the  sauce  to  make  for  the  pudding. 
Now  hurry." 

It  was  absolutely  better  than  play,  to  fly 
about  and  do  all  these  things,  after  the  con 
finement  of  darning  stockings.  Matilda's 
glee  equalled  Maria's  discomfiture.  Only, 
when  it  was  all  done  and  the  dinner  ready, 
Matilda  stood  still  to  think.  "  I  am  sorry  I 
was  so  impatient  this  morning  upstairs,"  she 
said  to  herself. 

8 


CHAPTER    II. 

TV  /TATILDA'S  spirits  were  not  quite  used 
up  by  the  morning's  experience,  for 
after  dinner  she  put  on  her  bonnet  and  took 
her  Bible  and  set  off  on  an  expedition,  with 
out  asking  leave  of  anybody.  She  was  bent 
upon  getting  to  Lilac  lane.  "  If  I  do  not  get 
there  to-day,  I  don't  know  when  I  shall,"  she 
said  to  herself.  "  There  is  no  telling  what 
aunt  Candy  will  do." 

She  got  there  without  any  difficulty.  It 
was  an  overcast  Aprilish  day,  with  low  clouds, 
and  now  and  then  a  drop  of  rain  falling. 
Matilda  did  not  care  for  that.  It  was  all  the 
pleasanter  walking.  Lilac  lane  was  at  some 
distance  from  home,  and  the  sun  had  a  good 
deal  of  power  on  sunny  days  now.  The  mud 
was  ahVgone  by  this  time  ;  in  its  place  a  thick 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


35 


groundwork  of  dust.  Winter  frost  was  re 
placed  by  soft  spring  air;  but  that  gave  a 
chance  for  the  lane  odours  to  come  out;  not 
the  fragrance  of  hawthorn  and  primrose  by 
any  means.  Nor  any  such  pleasant  sight  to 
be  seen.  Poor,  straggling,  forlorn  houses ; 
broken  fences,  or  no  courtyards  at  all ;  thick 
dust,  and  no  footway ;  garbage  and  ashes  and 
bones,  but  never  even  so  much  as  a  green 
potato  patch  to  greet  the  eye,  much  less  a 
rose  or  a  pink ;  an  iron  shop,  and  a  livery 
stable  at  the  entrance  of  the  lane  seeming 
dignified  and  elegant  buildings  by  comparison 
with  what  came  afterwards.  Few  living 
things  were  abroad ;  a  boy  or  two,  and  two 
or  three  babies  making  discomposure  in  the 
dust,  were  about  all.  Matilda  wondered  if 
every  one  of  those  houses  did  not  need  to  have 
the  message  carried  to  them  ?  Where  was 
she  to  begin  ? 

"  Does  Mrs.  Eldridge  live  in  this  house, 
or  in  that  ?  "  Matilda  asked  a  boy  in  her 
way. 


36  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  In  nary  one." 

"  Where  does  she  live  ?  " 

« Old  Sally  Eldridge  ?  Sam's  grand 
mother?" 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  Sam,"  said 
Matilda.  "  She  lives  alone." 

"  Well,  she  lives  alone.  That's  her  door 
yonder —  where  the  cat  sits." 

"  Thank  you."  Matilda  thought  to  ask  if 
the  boy  went  to  Sunday  school ;  but  she  felt 
as  if  all  the  force  she  had  would  be  wanted  to 
carry  her  through  the  visit  to  Mrs.  Eldridge. 
It  was  a  forlorn  looking  doorway  ;  the  upper 
half  of  the  door  swinging  partly  open ;  the 
cottage  dropping  down  on  one  side,  as  if  it 
was  tired  of  the  years  when  it  had  stood  up  ; 
not  a  speck  of  paint  to  be  seen  anywhere,  and 
little  bare  broken  windows,  not  even  patched 
with  rags.  Matilda  walked  up  to  the  door 
and  knocked,  sorely  appalled  at  the  view  she 
got  through  the  half  open  doorway.  No 
answer.  She  knocked  again.  Then  a  weak, 
"  Who  is  it  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  37 

Matilda  let  herself  in.  There  was  a  worn 
and  torn  rag  carpet;  an  unswept  floor; 
boards  and  walls  that  had  not  known  the 
touch  of  water  or  soap  in  many,  many 
months ;  a  rusty  little  stove  with  no  fire  in  it ; 
and  a  poor  old  woman,  who  looked  in  all 
respects  like  her  surroundings  ;  worn  and  torn 
and  dusty  and  unwashed  and  neglected.  To 
her  Matilda  turned,  with  a  great  sinking  of 
heart.  What  could  she  do  ? 

"  Who's  here  ?  "  said  the  old  woman,  who 
did  not  seem  to  have  her  sight  clear. 

"  Matilda  Englefield." 

"  I  don't  know  no  such  a  person." 

"  Maybe  you  would  like  to  know  me,"  said 
Matilda.  "  I  am  come  to  see  you." 

"  What  fur  ?  I  hain't  sent  for  nobody. 
Who  told  you  to  come  ?  " 

"  No,  I  know  you  didn't.  But  I  wanted  to 
come  and  see  you,  Mrs.  Eldridge." 

"What  fur?  You're  a  little  gal,  bain't 
you  ?  " 

"  Yes    ma'am  ;  and  I  thought  maybe  you 


38  OPPORTUNITIES. 

would  like  to  have  me  read  a  chapter  in  the 
Bible  to  you." 

"  A  what  ?  "  said  the  old  woman  with  strong 
emphasis. 

"  A  chapter  in  the  Bible.  I  thought  — 
perhaps  you  couldn't  see  to  read  it  yourself." 

"  Read  ?  "  said  the  old  creature.  "  Never 
could.  I  never  could  see  to  read,  for  I  never 
knowed  how.  No,  I  never  knowed  how;  I 
didn't." 

"  You  would  like  to  hear  reading,  now, 
wouldn't  you  ?  I  came  to  read  to  you  a 
chapter  —  if  you'll  let  me  —  out  of  the  Bible." 

"  A  chapter  ?  "  the  old  woman  repeated  — 
"what's  a  chapter-now?  It's  no  odds;  'taint 
bread,  nor  'taint  'baccy." 

"  No,  it  is  not  tobacco,"  said  Matilda ; 
"  but  it  is  better  than  tobacco." 

"  Couldn't  ye  get  me  some  'baccy,  now  ?  " 
said  the  old  woman,  as  if  with  a  sudden 
thought.  But  Matilda  did  not  see  her  way 
clear  to  that ;  and  the  hope  failing,  the  failure 
of  everything  seemed  to  be  expressed  in  a 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


39 


long-drawn  "  heigh-ho !  "  which  ran  wearily 
down  all  the  notes  of  the  gamut.  Matilda 
felt  she  was  not  getting  on.  The  place  and 
the  woman  were  inexpressibly  forlorn  to  her. 

"  Who  sent  ye  fur  to  come  here  ?  "  was 
next  asked. 

"  Nobody  sent  me." 

"  What  fur  did  ye  come  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  would  like  to  hear  a  little 
reading." 

"  'Taint  a  song,  is  it?  I  used  fur  to  hear 
songs  oncet;  they  don't  sing  songs  in  this 
village.  They  sells  good  'baccy,  though. 
Heigh-ho ! " 

Matilda  grew  desperate.  She  was  not 
making  any  headway.  As  a  last  expedient, 
she  opened  her  book,  plunged  into  the  work, 
and  gave  in  the  hearing  of  Mrs.  Eldridge  a 
few  of  its  wonderful  sentences.  Maybe  those 
words  would  reach  her,  thought  Matilda.  She 
read  slowly  the  twenty-third  psalm,  and  then 
went  back  to  the  opening  verse  and  read  it 
again. 


40  OPPORTUNITIES. 

" '  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd ;  I  shall  not 
want.'  " 

Mrs.  Eldridge  had  been  very  still. 

"  A  shepherd,"  she  repeated,  when  Matilda 
had  stopped ;  —  "he  used  fur  to  be  a  shep 
herd." 

Matilda  wondered  very  much  what  the  old 
lady  was  thinking  of.  Her  next  words  made 
it  clearer. 

"  He  kept  sheep  fur  Mr.  —  Mr.  —  him  they 
called  the  Judge ;  I  don't  mind  who  he  was. 
He  kept  sheep  for  him,  he  did." 

"  Judge  Brockenhurst  ?  " 

"  That  was  it  —  I  can't  speak  his  name ;  he 
kept  his  sheep.  It  was  a  big  place." 

"  Yes,  I  know  Judge  Brockenhurst's  place," 
said  Matilda ;  "  he  has  a  great  many  sheep. 
Who  kept  them  ?  "• 

"  He  did,  dear.  My  old  man.  He  kept 
'em.  It's  long  sen." 

"  Well,  didn't  he  take  good  care  of  them, 
the  sheep  ?  " 

"  My  old  man  ?     Ay,  did  he.     There  warn't 


OPPORTUNITIES.  41 

no  better  a  shepherd  in  the  country.  He  took 
care  of  'em.  The  Judge  sot  a  great  deal  by 
him." 

"  How  did  he  take  care  of  them  ?  "  Matilda 
asked. 

"  O  I  don'  know.  He  watched  'em,  and 
he  took  'em  round,  and  he  didn't  let  no  harm 
happen  to  'em.  He  didn't." 

"  Well,  this  I  read  was  about  the  Good 
Shepherd  and  his  sheep.  He  takes  care  of 
them,  too.  Don't  you  think  the  Lord  Jesus 
takes  care  of  his  sheep  ?  " 

"  He  don't  take  no  care  o'  me,"  said  the 
poor  old  woman.  "  There  ain't  no  care  took 
o'  me  anywheres,  —  neither  in  heaven  nor  in 
earth.  No,  there  ain't." 

"  But  are  you  one  of  his  sheep  ? "  said 
Matilda  doubtfully. 

"  Eh  ?  "  said  the  woman,  pricking  up  her 
ears,  as  it  were. 

"  Are  you  one  of  the  Lord's  sheep,  Mrs. 
Eldridge  ?  " 

"  Am  1  one  of  'em?     I'm  poor  enough  fur 


42  OPPORTUNITIES. 

to  be  took  care  of;  I  am.  And  there  ain't 
no  care  took  o'  me.  Neither  in  heaven  nor 
on  earth.  No,  there  ain't." 

"  But  are  you  one  of  his  sheep  ?  "  Matilda 
persisted.  "  His  sheep  follow  him.  Did  you 
ever  do  that,  ma'am  ?  Were  you  ever  a  ser 
vant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ?  " 

"  A  servant  ?  I  warn't  no  servant,  no- 
wheres,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  had  no  need  to 
do  that.  We  was  'spectable  folks,  and  we 
had  our  own  home  and  lived  in  it,  we  did. 
I  warn't  never  no  servant  o'  nobody." 

"  But  we  all  ought  to  be  God's  servants," 
said  Matilda. 

"  Eh  ?  —  I  hain't  done  no  harm,  I  hain't. 
Nobody  never  said  as  I  done  'em  no 
harm." 

"  But  the  servants  of  Jesus  love  him  and 
obey  him  and  do  what  he  says,"  Matilda 
repeated,  growing  eager.  "  They  do  just 
what  he  says ;  and  they  love  him,  and  they 
love  everybody,  because  he  gives  them  new 
hearts." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  43 

"  I  don't  know  as  he  never  give  me  noth 
ing,"  said  Mrs.  Eldridge. 

"  Did  you  ever  ask  him  for  a  new  heart  ? 
and  did  you  ever  try  to  please  him  ?  Then 
you  would  be  one  of  his  sheep,  and  he  would 
take  care  of  you." 

"  Nobody  takes  no  care  o'  me,"  said  the 
poor  woman  stolidly. 

"  Listen,"  said  Matilda.  "  This  is  what  he 
says,  — 

"  '  I  am  the  good  shepherd  ;  the  good  shep 
herd  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep.'  He  cared 
so  much  for  you  as  that.  '  I  am  the  good 
shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am  known 
of  mine.  As  the  Father  knoweth  me,  even  so 
know  I  the  Father :  and  I  lay  down  my  life 
for  the  sheep.' " 

"  He  cared  so  much  for  you  as  that.  He 
died  that  you  might  be  forgiven  and  live. 
Don't  say  he  didn't  care  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  know  as  he'd  never  done  nothing 
fur  me,"  said  Mrs.  Eldridge. 

"  He  did  that.     Listen,  now,  please  " 


44  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  'My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know 
them,  and  they  follow  me :  and  I  give  unto 
them  eternal  life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish, 
neither  shall  any  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand. 
My  Father,  which  gave  them  me,  is  greater 
than  all ;  and  none  is  able  to  pluck  them  out 
of  my  Father's  hand.  I  and  my  Father  are 
one.' " 

Matilda  lifted  her  head  and  sought,  in  the 
faded  blue  eye  over  against  her,  if  she  could 
find  any  response  to  these  words.  She  fan 
cied  there  was  a  quieter  thoughtfulness  in  it. 

"  That  has  a  good  sound,"  was  the  old 
woman's  comment,  uttered  presently.  "  But 
I'm  old  now,  and  I  can't  do  nothing;  and 
there  ain't  nobody  to  take  care  o'  me.  There 
ain't." 

Matilda  glanced  over  the  desolate  room.  It 
was  dusty,  dirty,  neglected,  and  poverty 
stricken.  What  if  she  had  been  sent  to  "  take 
care  "  of  Mrs.  Eldridge  ?  The  thought  was 
exceedingly  disagreeable  ;  but  once  come,  she 
could  not  get  rid  of  it. 


OPPOR  TUNITIES. 


45 


"  What  do  you  want,  Mrs.  Eldridge  ?  "  she 
asked  at  length. 

"  I  don't  want  no  more  readin'.  But  it 
has  a  good  sound  —  a  good  sound." 

"  What  would  you  like  to  have  somebody 
do  for  you  ?  not  reading." 

"  There  was  folks  as  cared  fur  me,"  said 
the  old  woman.  "  There  ain't  none  no  more. 
No  more.  There  ain't  no  one  as  cares." 

"  But  if  there  was  some  one —  what  would 
you  tell  her  to  do  for  you  ?  —  now,  to-day  ?  " 

"  Any  one  as  cared  would  know,"  said  Mrs. 
Eldridge.  "  There's  'most  all  to  do.  'Spect 
I'd  have  a  cup  o'  tea  for  my  supper —  'spect 
I  would." 

"  Don't  you  have  tea  ?  Won't  you  have  it 
to-night  ?  " 

The  feeble  eye  looked  over  at  the  little 
rusty  stove. 

"  There  ain't  no  fire,"  she  said ;  "  nor  noth- 
"ing  to  make  fire ;  it's  cold  ;  and  there  ain't 
nobody  to  go  out  and  get  it  fur  me —  I  can't 
go  pick  up  sticks  no  more.  An'  if  I  had  the 


46  OPPORTUNITIES 

fire,  there  ain't  no  tea.  There  ain't  no  one 
as  cares." 

"  But  what  will  you  have  then  ?  "  said  Ma 
tilda.  "  What  do  you  have  for  supper  ?  " 

"  Go  and  look,"  said  Mrs.  Eldridge,  turning 
her  head  towards  a  corner  cupboard  the  doors 
of  which  stood  a  little  open.  "  If  there's  any 
thing,  it's  there ;  if  it  ain't  all  eat  up." 

Matilda  hesitated ;  then  thought  she  had 
better  know  the  state  of  things,  since  she  had 
leave ;  and  crossed  to  the  cupboard  door.  It 
was  a  problem  with  her  how  to  open  it ;  so 
long,  long  it  was  since  anything  clean  had 
touched  the  place ;  she  made  the  end  of  her 
glove  finger  do  duty  and  pulled  the  cupboard 
leaves  open. 

She  never  forgot  what  she  saw  there,  nor 
the  story  of  lonely  and  desolate  life  which  it 
told.  Two  cups  and  saucers,  one  standing  in 
a  back  corner,  unused  and  full  of  cobwebs, 
the  other  cracked,  soiled,  grimy  and  full  of 
flies.  Something  had  been  in  it ;  what,  Ma 
tilda  could  not  examine.  On  the  bare  shelf 


OPPORTUNITIES.  47 

lay  a  half  loaf  of  bread,  pretty  dry,  with  a 
knife  alongside.  A  plate  of  broken  meat,  also 
full  of  flies,  and  looking,  Matilda  thought,  fit 
for  the  flies  alone,  was  there  ;  a  cup  half  full 
of  salt ;  an  empty  vinegar  cruet,  an  old  shawl, 
ditto  hood ;  a  pitcher  with  no  water ;  an  old 
muslin  cap,  half  soiled ;  a  faded  bit  of  rib 
band,  and  a  morsel  of  cheese  flanked  by  a 
bitten  piece  of  gingerbread.  Matilda  came 
back,  sick  at  heart. 

"  Where  do  you  sleep,  Mrs.  Eldridge  ? 
and  who  makes  your  bed  ?  Or  can  you  make 
it?" 

"  Sleep  ?  "  said  the  old  woman.  "  Nobody 
cares.  I  sleep  in  yonder." 

Matilda  looked,  doubted,  finally  crossed  the 
room  again  and  pushed  a  little  inwards  the 
door  Mrs.  Eldridge  had  looked  at.  She  came 
back  quickly.  So  close,  so  ill-smelling,  so 
miserable  to  her  nice  senses,  the  room  within 
was ;  with  its  huddled  up  bundle  of  dirty 
coverlets  and  the  soiled  bed  under  them  on 
the  floor.  Not  much  of  a  bed  either,  and  not 


48  OPPORTUNITIES. 

much  else  in  the  room.  A  great  burden  was 
gathering  on  Matilda's  heart  and  shoulders ; 
the  burden  of  the  wants  of  her  neighbour, 
and  her  own  responsibilities. 

The  afternoon  was  now  waning;  what 
was  to  be  done  ?  Matilda  tried  to  think  that 
somebody  would  come  in  and  do  what  she 
herself  was  very  unwilling  to  do ;  but  con 
science  reminded  her  that  it  was  very  unlikely. 
Did  that  neglected  cupboard  give  much 
promise  of  kind  attendance  or  faithful  supply  ? 
or  that  rusty  stove  look  like  neighbourly  care  ? 
But  then  Matilda  pleaded  to  herself  that  she 
had  her  own  work,  and  not  much  time ;  and 
that  such  a  dirty  place  was  very  unfit  for  her 
nice  little  hands. 

"  Good  bye,  Mrs.  Eldridge,"  she  said, 
lingering.  "  I'll  come  and  see  you  again." 

"  'Taint  a  pleasant  place  to  come  to,"  said 
the  old  woman.  "  'Taint  a  pleasant  place 
fur  nobody.  And  nobody  comes  to  it.  No 
body  comes." 

"  I'll  come  though,"    said    Matilda.      She 


OPPORTUNITIES.  49 

could  do  so  much  as  that,  she  thought. 
"Good  bye.  I  must  go  home." 

She  left  the  old  woman  and  the  house  and 
began  her  walk.  The  lane,  she  observed, 
looked  as  if  other  houses  and  other  people  in 
it  might  be  as  ill  off  as  those  she  had  been 
visiting.  "  She  is  not  worse  than  a  number 
of  others,  I  dare  say,"  thought  Matilda.  "  I 
could  not  visit  them  all,  and  I  could  not  cer 
tainly  take  care  of  them  all.  It  really  makes 
little  difference  on  the  whole,  whether  or  no  I 
kindle  Mrs.  Eldridge's  fire.  It  is  delightful  to 
get  away  from  the  place." 

And  then  Matilda  tried  to  think  that  in 
making  her  visit  and  reading  to  the  old 
woman,  she  had  really  done  a  good  deal ; 
made  a  good  afternoon's  work.  Nobody  else 
had  done  even  so  much  as  that;  not  even 
anybody  in  all  Shadywalk.  The  walk  home 
was  quite  pleasant,  under  the  soothing  influ 
ence  of  these  thoughts.  Nevertheless  a  little 
secret  point  of  uneasiness  remained  at  Ma 
tilda's  heart.  She  did  not  stop  to  look  at  itr 
4 


50  OPPORTUNITIES. 

until  she  and  Maria  went  up  to  bed.  Then, 
as  usual,  while  Maria  got  ready  for  sleep, 
Matilda  knelt  down  before  the  table  where 
her  open  Bible  lay  under  the  lamp,  and  there 
conscience  met  her. 

And  when  conscience  meets  any  one,  it  is 
the  same  thing  as  to  say  that  the  Lord  meets 
him. 

That  was  what  Matilda  felt  this  night. 
For  her  reading  fell  upon  the  story  of  the 
woman  who  brought  the  precious  ointment 
for  the  head  of  Jesus  and  poured  it  upon  his 
feet  also;  whom  the  Lord,  when  she  was 
chidden,  commended ;  saying,  "  Ye  have  the 
poor  with  you  always,  and  whensoever  ye 
will  ye  may  do  them  good :  but  me  ye  have 
not  always.  She  hath  done  what  she 
could."  — 

Had  Matilda  ?  And  these  poor  whom  we 
have  always  with  us,  she  recollected  that  in 
another  place  the  Lord  in  a  sort  identifies 
himself  with  them,  saying  that  what  is  done 
to  his  poor  is  done  to  himself.  Mrs.  Eldridge 


OPPORTUNITIES.  5 1 

was  not  indeed  one  of  the  Lord's  children,  but 
that  did  not  help  the  matter.  "  For  perhaps 
she  will  be,"  Matilda  said  to  herself.  And 
what  if  the  Lord  had  sent  Matilda  there  now 
to  be  his  messenger  ?  The  success  of  the 
message  might  depend  on  the  behaviour  of 
the  messenger.  But  above  all  it  pressed  upon 
Matilda's  heart  that  she  had  not  done  what 
she  could;  and  that  in  declining  to  make  a 
fire  in  Mrs.  Eldridge's  rusty  little  stove  and 
in  shrinking  from  waiting  upon  her,  she  had 
lost  a  chance  of  waiting  upon,  perhaps,  the 
Lord  himself. 

"  And  it  was  such  a  good  chance,"  thought 
Matilda ;  "  such  a  good  afternoon  ;  and  there 
is  no  telling  when  I  may  get  another.  "  It 
was  such  a  good  opportunity.  And  I  lost  it." 

The  pain  of  a  lost  opportunity  was  some 
thing  she  had  not  counted  upon.  It  pressed 
hard,  and  was  not  easy  to  get  rid  of.  The 
disagreeableness  of  the  place  and  the  service 
faded  into  nothing  before  this  pain.  Matilda 
went  to  bed  with,  a  sore  heart,  resolving  to 


52  OPPORTUNITIES. 

watch  for  the  very  first  chance  to  do  what  she 
had  neglected  to  do  this  afternoon. 

But  Lilac  lane  looked  very  disagreeable  to 
her  thoughts  the  next  day,  and  the  sharp 
effect  of  the  Bible  words  had  faded  somewhat. 

"  Maria,"  she  said  as  they  were  washing  up 
the  dishes  after  breakfast,  —  "I  wish  you 
would  help  me  in  something." 

"What?" 

"  Do  you  call  yourself  a  member  of  the 
Band  yet?" 

"  Of  course  I  do.  What  do  you  ask 
for?" 

"  I  did  not  know,"  said  Matilda  sighing. 
"  You  don't  do  the  things  promised  in  the 
covenant.  I  didn't  know  but  you  had  given 
it  all  up." 

"  What  don't  I  do  ? "  inquired  Maria 
fiercely. 

"  Don't  be  angry,  please,  Maria.  I  do  not 
mean  to  make  you  angry." 

"  What  don't  I  do,  Matilda  ?  " 

"  You  know,  the  Covenant  says,  '  we  stand 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


53 


ready  to  do  his  will.'  He  has  commanded 
that  we  should  be  baptized  and  join  the 
church,  and  that  we  should  follow  him, — 
you  know  how,  Maria.  And  you  don't  seem 
to  like  to  do  it." 

«  Is  that  all  ?  " 

«  That  is  all  about  that." 

"  Then,  if  you  will  mind  your  affairs,  Ma 
tilda,  I  will  try  and  mind  mine.  And  I  will 
be  much  obliged  to  you." 

"  Then  you  will  not  help  me  ?  " 

"  Help  in  what  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  poor  woman,  Maria,"  said  her 
little  sister  lowering  her  voice,  "  a  poor  old 
woman,  who  has  no  one  to  take  care  of  her, 
and  hardly  anything  to  live  upon.  She  lives, 
you  can't  think  how  she  lives !  in  the  most 
miserable  little  house,  dirty  and  all ;  and  with 
out  fire  or  anybody  to  sweep  her  room  or 
make  her  bed  or  make  a  cup  of  tea  for  her. 
If  you  would  help  me,  we  might  do  something 
to  make  her  comfortable." 

"  Where  is  she  ?  " 


54  OPPORTUNITIES 

"  In  Lilac  lane." 

"  Have  you  been  to  see  her  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"  What  do  you  think  aunt  Candy  would 
say  if  she  knew  it  ?  " 

"  Will  you  help  me,  Maria  ?  " 

"  Help  make  her  bed  and  sweep  her  room  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  get  her  a  cup  of  tea  sometimes, 
and  a  clean  supper." 

"A  clean  supper!"  exclaimed  Maria. 
"  Well !  Yes,  I  guess  I'll  help  you,  when  I 
have  nothing  of  my  own  to  do.  When  the 
dinner  gets  itself,  and  the  house  stays  swept 
and  dusted,  and  aunt  -Candy  lives  without 
cakes  for  breakfast." 

Matilda  was  silent. 

«  But  I'll  tell  you  what,  Matilda,"  said  her 
sister,  — "  aunt  Candy  will  never  let  you  do 
this  sort  of  work.  You  may  as  well  give  it 
up  peaceably,  and  not  worry  yourself  nor  any 
body  else.  She'll  never  let  you  go  into  Lilac 
lane  —  not  to  speak  of  getting  dirty  people's 
dinners.  You  may  as  well  quit  it.' 


OPPORTUNITIES.  55 

«  Don't  tell  her,  Maria." 

"  You'll  tell  her  yourself,  first  thing,"  said 
Maria  scornfully. 

Matilda  had  to  go  upstairs  soon  to  her 
reading  in  her  aunt's  room.  It  was  even 
more  unintelligible,  the  reading,  this  time 
than  before ;  because  Matilda's  head  was 
running  so  busily  on  something  else. 

"  You  do  not  read  well,  child,"  said  her  aunt. 

"  No,  ma'am.     I  do  not  understand  it." 

"  But  it  is  about  what  you  have  just  done, 
Matilda.  It  is  about  the  ordinance  of  bap 
tism,  and  the  life  proper  to  a  person  who  has 
been  received  into  the  church.  You  ought 
to  understand  that." 

"  I  do  understand  it,  in  the  Bible." 

"  What  does  the  Bible  say  about  it  ?  " 

"  It  says,  — '  My  sheep  hear  my  voice : 
and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me.' " 

"What  do  you  mean  by  'following 
Him '  ?  " 

"  Why,  living  the  sort  of  life  he  lived,  and 
doing  what  he  tells  us  to  do." 


56  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  live  the  sort  of 
life  He  lived  ?  It's  almost  blasphemy." 

"  Why  no,  aunt  Candy ;  he  tells  us  to  do 
it." 

«  Do  what  ?  " 

"  Live  the  sort  of  life  he  lived.'  He  says 
we  must  follow  him." 

"  Well  how,  for  instance  ?     In  what  ?  " 

"  You  know  how  Tie  lived,"  said  Matilda. 
"  He  helped  people,  and  he  taught  people,  and 
he  cured  people ;  he  was  always  doing  good  to 
people,  and  trying  to  make  them  good.  Es 
pecially  poor,  miserable  people,  that  nobody 
cared  for." 

"  Trying  to  make  them  good ! "  said  Mrs. 
Candy.  "  As  if  His  omnipotence  could  not 
have  made  them  good  in  a  minute." 

"  Then  why  didn't  he  ?  "  said  Matilda  sim 
ply.  "  It  sounds  as  if  he  was  trying  to  make 
them  good." 

"  Well,  child,  —  it's  no  use  talking ;  I  wish 
I  had  had  the  training  of  you  earlier,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy.  "  You  are  so  prepossessed  with 


OPPORTUNITIES.  57 

ideas  that  border  on  fanaticism,  that  it  is  a 
hard  matter  to  get  you  into  right  habits 
of  thinking.  Come  here  and  take  your 
darning." 

So  Matilda  did.  The  darning  was  not 
wearisome  at  all  to-day,  so  busy  her  thoughts 
were  with  the  question  of  Mrs.  Eldridge; 
how  much  or  how  little  Matilda  ought  to  do 
for  her,  how  much  she  could,  and  what  were 
the  best  arrangements  to  be  set  on  foot.  So 
intent  she  was  on  these  questions,  that  the 
darning  was  done  with  the  greatest  patience, 
and  therefore  with  the  greatest  success.  Mrs. 
Candy  and  her  daughter  even  looked  at  each 
other  and  smiled  over  the  demure,  thoughtful 
little  face  of  the  workwoman ;  and  Matilda 
got  praise  for  her  work. 

She  had  made  up  her  mind  meanwhile 
that  "  she  hath  done  what  she  could "  — 
should  be  her  rule  to  go  by.  So  as  the  after 
noon  was  fair  and  Mrs.  Candy  and  her 
daughter  both  gone  to  make  a  visit  at  some 
miles'  distance,  Matilda  sallied  forth. 


58  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Did  she  give  you  leave  ?  "  Maria  asked, 
as  she  saw  her  sister  getting  ready. 

«  No." 

"  She  wants  you  to  ask  leave  always." 

"  I  never  used  to  do  that,"  said  Matilda. 
Her  voice  choked  before  she  could  finish  her 
sentence. 

"  You  will  get  into  trouble." 

"  One  trouble  is  better  than  another, 
though,"  said  Matilda ;  and  she  went. 

She  went  first  to  Mr.  Sample's,  and  asked 
how  much  a  pound  of  tea  cost. 

"  The  last  I  sent  your  aunt,"  said  Mr.  Sam 
ple,  "  was  one  fifty  a  pound ;  and  worth  it. 
Don't  she  approve  the  flavour?" 

"  I  believe  so.  But  I  want  a  little  of 
another  kind,  Mr.  Sample  —  if  you  have  any 
that  is  good,  and  not  so  high." 

"  I  have  an  excellent  Oolong  here  for  a 
dollar.  Will  you  try  that  ?  " 

"  Please  give  me  a  quarter  of  a  pound." 

"  She  will  like  it,"  said  Mr.  Sample,  weigh 
ing  the  quantity  and  putting  it  up ;  "  it  really 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  5  9 

has  as  much  body  as  the  other  sort,  and  I 
think  it  is  very  nearly  as  good.  The  other  is 
fifty  cents  a  pound  more.  Tell  Mrs.  Candy, 
I  can  serve  her  with  this  if  she  prefers." 

"  I  want  a  loaf  of  bread  too,  if  you 
please." 

« Baking  failed  ? "  said  Mr.  Sample. 
"  Here  Jem,  give  this  little  girl  a  loaf," 

He  himself  went  to  attend  another  custo 
mer,  so  Matilda  paid  for  her  purchases  with 
out  any  more  questions  being  asked  her. 
She  went  to  another  store-  for  a  little  butter, 
and  there  also  laid  in  a  few  herrings ;  and 
then  with  a  full  basket  and  a  light  heart  took 
the  way  to  Lilac  lane. 


CHAPTER    III. 
\ 

"li/TRS.  ELDRIDGE  was  as  she  had  left 
her  yesterday :  a  trifle  more  forlorn, 
perhaps.  The  afternoon  being  bright  and 
sunny,  made  everything  in  the  house  look 
more  grimy  and  dusty  for  the  contrast.  Ma 
tilda  shrank  from  having  anything  to  do  with 
it.  But  yet,  the  consciousness  that  she 
carried  a  basket  of  comfort  on  her  arm 
was  a  great  help. 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Eldridge ;  how  do 
you  do  ?  "  she  said  cheerily. 

"  Is  it  that  little  gal  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  I,  Mrs.  Eldridge.  I  said  I  would 
come  back.  How  do  you  do,  to-day?  " 

"  I'm  most  dead,"  said  the  poor  woman. 
Matilda  was  startled;  but  looking  again, 
could  not  see  that  her  face  threatened  any- 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  6 1 

thing  like  it.  She  rather  thought  Mrs.  El- 
dridge  was  tired  of  life;  and  she  did  not 
wonder. 

"  You  don't  feel  sick,  do  you  ?  " 

"No"  — the  woman  said  with  a  long 
drawn  sigh.  "  There  ain't  no  sickness  got 
hold  o'  me  yet.  There's  no  one  as  '11  care 
when  it  comes." 

"  Would  you  like  a  cup  of  tea  this  after 
noon?" 

"  Tea? "  said  the  poor  woman,  "  I  don't 
have  no  tea,  child.  Tea's  for  the  folks  as  has 
money ;  or  somebody  to  care  for  'em." 

"  But  I  care  for  you,"  said  Matilda  gently. 
"  And  the  Lord  Jesus  cares.  And  he 
gave  me  the  money  to  get  some  tea,  and 
I've  got  it.  Now  I'm  going  to  make  a 
fire  in  the  stove.  Is  there  any  wood  any 
where  ?  " 

"  Fire  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Eldridge. 

"  Yes.  To  boil  the  kettle,  you  know.  Is 
there  any  wood  anywhere  ?  " 

"  Have  you  got  some  tea?  " 


62  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Yes,  and  now  I  want  to  make  the  kettle 
boil.  Where  can  I  get  some  wood  ?  " 

"  Kettle  ?  "  said  the  old  woman.  "I  hain't 
no  kettle." 

"  No  tea-kettle  ?  " 

"  No.     It's  gone.     There  ain't  none." 

"  What  is  there  then,  that  I  can  boil  some 
water  in  ?  " 

"  There's  a  skillet  down  in  there,"  said  Mrs. 
Eldridge,  pointing  to  the  under  part  of  the 
corner'  cupboard  which  Matilda  had  looked 
into  the  day  before.  She  went  now  to  ex 
plore  what  remained.  The  lower  part  had 
once  been  used,  it  seemed,  for  pots  and  ket 
tles  and  stove  furniture.  At  least  it  looked 
black  enough ;  and  an  old  saucepan  and  a 
frying  pan,  two  flat-irons  very  rusty,  and  a 
few  other  iron  articles  were  there.  But  both 
saucepan  and  frying  pan  were  in  such  a  state 
that  Matilda  could  not  think  of  using  them. 
Days  of  purification  would  be  needed  first. 
So  she  shut  the  cupboard  door,  and  came 
back  to  the  question  of  fire ;  for  difficulties 


OPPORTUNITIES.  63 

were  not  going  to  overcome  her  now.  And 
there  were  difficulties.  Mrs.  Eldridge  could 
not  help  her  to  any  firing.  She  knew  noth 
ing  about  it.  None  had  been  in  the  house 
for  a  long  time. 

Matilda  stood  and  looked  at  the  stove. 
Then  she  emptied  her  basket;  laying  her 
little  packages  carefully  on  a  chair ;  and  went 
off  on  a  foraging  expedition.  At  a  lumber 
yard  or  a  carpenter's  shop  she  could  pick  up 
something  ;  but  neither  was  near.  The 
houses  in  Lilac  lane  were  too  needy  them 
selves  to  ask  anything  at  them.  Matilda 
went  down  the  lane,  seeing  no  prospect  of 
help,  till  she  came  to  the  iron  shop  and  the 
livery  stable.  She  looked  hard  at  both  places. 
Nothing  for  her  purpose  was  to  be  seen ;  and 
she  remembered  that  there  were  children 
enough  in  the  houses  behind  her  to  keep  the 
neighbourhood  picked  clean  of  chips  and 
brushwood.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  She 
took  a  bold  resolve,  and  went  into  the  iron 
shop,  the  master  of  which  she  knew  slightly. 


64  OPPORTUNITIES. 

He  was  there,  and  looked  at  her  as  she  came 
in. 

"  Mr.  Swain,  have  you  any  little  bits  of 
wood  that  you  could  let  me  have  ?  bits  of 
wood  to  make  a  fire." 

«  Matilda  Englefield,  ain't  it  ?  "  said  Mr. 
Swain.  "  Bits  o'  wood  ?  bits  of  iron  are  more 
in  our  way  —  could  let  ye  have  a  heap  o' 
them  —  Bits  o'  wood  to  make  a  fire,  did  ye 
say?  'twon't  be  a  big  fire  as  '11  come  out  o' 
that  'ere  little  basket." 

"  I  do  not  want  a  big  fire  — just  some  bits 
of  wood  to  boil  a  kettle." 

"  I  want  to  know ! "  said  Mr.  Swain.  "You 
hain't  come  all  this  way  from  your  house  to 
get  wood  ?  What's  happened  to  you  ?  " 

"  O  not  for  our  fire  !  0  no.  I  want  it  for 
a  place  here  in  the  lane." 

"  These  folks  picks  up  their  own  wood  — 
you  hadn't  no  need  for  to  trouble  yourself 
about  them." 

"  No,  but  it  is  some  one  who  cannot  pick 
up  her  own  wood,  Mr.  Swain,  nor  get  it  any 


OPPORTUNITIES.  65 

other  way  ;  it  is  an  old  woman,  and  she  wants 
a  little  fire  to  make  a  cup  of  tea." 

"  I  guess,  if  she  can  get  the  tea  she  can  get 
the  wood." 

"  Somebody  brought  her  the  tea,"  said 
Matilda,  who  luckily  was  not  in  one  way  a 
timid  child.  "  I  will  pay  for  the  wood  if  I 
can  get  some." 

"  O,  that's  the  game,  eh  ?  "  said  the  man. 
"Well,  as  it's  Mis'  Englefield's  daughter  — 
I  guess  we'll  find  you  what  will  do  you  — 
how  '11  this  suit,  if  I  split  it  up  for  you,  eh  ?  " 

He  handled  an  old  box  cover  as  he  spoke. 

Matilda  answered  that  it  was  the  very 
thing ;  and  a  few  easy  blows  of  Mr.  Swain's 
hatchet  broke  it  up  into  nice  billets  and  splin 
ters.  Part  of  these  went  into  Matilda's  bas 
ket,  one  end  of  them  at  least ;  the  rest  she 
took  with  great  difficulty  in  her  apron  ;  and 
so  went  back  up  the  lane  again. 

It  was  good  to  see  the  glint  of  the  old 
woman's  eyes,  when  she  saw  the  wood  flung 
down  on  the  floor.  Matilda  went  on  to  clear 
5 


66  OPPORTUNITIES. 

out  the  stove.  It  had  bits  of  coal  and  clinker 
in  the  bottom  of  it.  But  she  had  furnished 
herself  with  a  pair  of  old  gloves,  and  her  spirit 
was  thoroughly  up  to  the  work  now.  She 
picked  out  the  coal  and  rubbish,  laid  in  paper 
and  splinters  and  wood ;  now  how  to  kindle 
it  ?  Matilda  had  no  match.  And  she  re 
membered  suddenly  that  she  had  better  have 
her  kettle  ready  first,  lest  the  fire  should  burn 
out  before  its  work  was  done.  So  saying  to 
Mrs.  Eldridge  that  she  was  going  after  a 
match,  she  went  forth  again.  Where  to  ask  ? 
One  house  looked  as  forbidding  as  another. 
Finally  concluded  to  try  the  first. 

She  knocked  timidly  and  went  in.  A 
slatternly  woman  was  giving  supper  to  a  half 
dozen  children  who  were  making  a  great  deal 
of  noise  over  it.  The  hurly  burly  confused 
Matilda,  and  confused  the  poor  woman 
too. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  she  asked  shortly. 

"  I  came  to  see  if  you  could  lend  me  a 
tea-kettle  for  half  an  hour." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  67 

"  What  do  you. want  of  my  tea-kettle  ?  " 

"  I  want  only  to  boil  some  water." 

"  Hush  your  noise,  Sam  Darcy !  "  said  the 
woman  to  an  urchin  some  teil  years  old  who 
was  clamouring  for  the  potatoes,  —  "Who 
for?" 

"  To  boil  some  water  for  Mrs.  Eldridge." 

"  You  don't  live  here  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Well,  my  tea-kettle's  in  use,  you  see. 
The  cheapest  way  'd  be  for  Mrs.  Eldridge  to 
get  a  tea-kettle  for  herself.  Sam  Darcy !  if 
you  lay  a  finger  on  them  'taters  till  1  give  'em 
to  you  "  — 

Matilda  closed  the  door  and  went  over  the 
way.  Here  she  found  a  somewhat  tidy 
woman  at  work  ironing.  Nobody  else  in  the 
room.  She  made  known  her  errand.  The 
woman  looked  at  her  doubtfully. 

"  If  I  let  you  take  my  kettle,  I  don't  know 
when  I'll  see  it  agin.  Mis'  Eldridge  don't 
have  the  use  of  herself  so  's  she  kin  come  over 
the  street  to  bring  it  back,  ye  see." 


68  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  will  bring  it  back  myself,"  said  Matilda. 
"  I  only  want  it  for  a  little  while." 

"  Is  Mis'  Eldridge  sick  ?  " 

"  No.  I  only  want  to  make  her  a  cup  ot 
tea." 

"  I  hadn't  heerd  nothin'  of  her  bein'  sick. 
Be  you  a  friend  o'  hern  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  We've  got  sickness  in  this  house,"  the 
woman  went  on.  "  And  everythin's  wantin' 
where  there's  sickness ;  and  hard  to  get  it. 
It's  my  old  mother.  She  lies  in  there,"  (nod 
ding  towards  an  inner  room)  "  nisrht  and 

O  /  CJ 

day  and  day  and  night ;  and  she'd  like  a  bit 
o'  comfort  now  and  then  as  well  as  another; 
and  'tain't  often  as  I  kin-give  it  to  her.  Life's 
hard,  to  them  as  hain't  got  nothin'  to  live  on. 
I  hadn't  ought  to  complain,  and  I  don't  com 
plain  ;  but  sometimes  it  comes  over  me  that 
Life's  hard." 

Here  was  another ! 

"  What  does  she  want  ?  "  Matilda  asked. 
"  Is  she  very  sick  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  69 

"  She  won't  never  be  no  better,"  her  daugh 
ter  answered ;  "  and  she  lies  there  and  knows 
she  won't  never  be  no  better  ;  and  she's  all  as 
full  of  aches  as  she  kin  be,  sometimes ;  and 
other  times  she's  more  easy  like  ;  but  she  lies 
there  and  knows  she  can't  never  get  up  no 
more  in  this  world;  and  she  wants  'most 
everythin'.  I  do  what  I  kin." 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  lend  me  your  tea 
kettle?  I  will  be  very  much  obliged." 

"  Well,  if  you'll  bring  it  back  yourself,  —  I 
'spose  I  will.  It's  all  the  kettle  I've  got." 

She  fetched  it  out  of  a  receptacle  behind 
the  stove,  brushed  the  soot  from  its  sides 
with  a  chicken's  wing,  and  handed  it  to 
Matilda.  It  was  an  iron  tea-kettle,  not  very 
large  to  be  sure,  but  very  heavy  to  hold  at 
arm's  length ;  and  so  Matilda  was  obliged  to 
carry  it,  for  fear  of  smutching  her  frock.  She 
begged  a  match  too,  and  hastened  back  over 
the  street  as  well  as  she  could.  But  Matilda's 
heart,  though  glad  at  the  comfort  she  was 
about  to  give,  began  to  be  wearily  heavy  on 


70  OPPORTUNITIES. 

account  of  the  comfort  she  could  not  give; 
comfort  that  was  lacking  in  so  many  quarters 
where  she  could  do  nothing.  She  easily 
kindled  her  fire  now ;  filled  the  tea-kettle  at 
the  pump,  (this  was  very  difficult,  but  without 
more  borrowing  she  could  not  help  it)  and 
at  last  got  the  kettle  on  and  had  the  joy  of 
hearing  it  begin  to  sing.  The  worst  came 
now.  For  that  teacup  and  saucer  and  plate 
must  be  washed  before  they  could  be  used; 
and  Matilda  could  not  bear  to  touch 
them.  She  thought  of  taking  the  unused 
cup  at  the  back  of  the  shelf.  But  conscience 
would  not  let  her.  "  You  know  those  ought 
to  be  washed,"  said  conscience ;  "  and  if  you 
do  not  do  it,  perhaps  nobody  else  will."  Ma 
tilda  earnestly  wished  that  somebody  else 
might.  She  had  no  bowl,  either,  to  wash 
them  in,  and  no  napkin  to  dry  them.  And 
here  a  dreadful  thought  suggested  itself.  Did 
Mrs.  Eldridge  herself,  too,  do  without  wash 
ing?  There  were  no  towels  to  be  seen  any 
where.  Sick  at  heart,  the  little  girl  gathered 


OPPORTUNITIES.  71 

up  the  soiled  pieces  of  crockery  in  her  basket 
(the  basket  had  a  paper  in  it)  and  went  over 
the  way  again  to  Mrs.  Rogers'  cottage.  As 
she  went,  it  crossed  her  mind,  could  Mrs. 
Rogers  perhaps  be  the  other  one  of  those  two 
in  Lilac  lane  who  needed  to  have  the  Bible 
read  to  them  ?  Or  were  there  still  others ! 
And  how  many  Christians  there  had  need  to 
be  in  the  world,  to  do  all  the  work  of  it. 
Even  in  Shady  walk.  And  what  earnest 
Christians  they  had  need  to  be. 

"  Back  again  a'ready  ?  "  said  the  woman, 
as  she  let  her  in.  Matilda  shewed  what  she 
had  in  her  basket,  and  asked  for  something 
to  wash  her  dishes  in.  She  got  more  than 
she  asked  for;  Sabrina  Rogers  took  them 
from  her  to  wash  them  herself. 

"  She  has  nobody  to  do  any  thing  for  her," 
Matilda  observed  of  the  poor  old  owner  of 
the  cup  and  saucer. 

"  She  ain't  able  to  do  for  herself,"  remarked 
Sabrina;  "that's  where  the  difference  is. 
The  folks  as  has  somebody  to  do  su'thin'  for 


72  OPPORTUNITIES. 

them,  is  lucky  folks.     I  never  see  none  o'  that 

luck  myself." 

« 
"  But  your  mother  has  you,"  said  Matilda 

gently. 

"  I  can't  do  much  for  her,  either,"  said 
Sabrina.  "  Poor  folks  must  take  life  as  they 
find  it.  And  they  find  it  hard." 

"  Can  your  mother  read  ?  " 

"  She's  enough  to  do  to  lie  still  and  bear 
it,  without  readin',"  said  the  daughter. 
"  Folks  as  has  to  get  their  livin',  has  to  do 
without  readin'." 

"  But  would  she  like  it  ?  "  Matilda  asked. 

"  I  wonder  when  these  things  was  washed 
afore,"  said  the  woman,  scrubbing  at  them. 
"  Like  it  ?  You  kin  go  in  and  ask  her." 

Matilda  pushed  open  the  inner  door  and 
somewhat  reluctantly  went  in.  It  was  decent, 
that  room  was  ;  and  this  disabled  old  woman 
lay  under  a  patchwork  quilt,  on  a  bed  that 
seemed  comfortable.  But  the  window  was 
shut  and  the  air  was  close.  It  was  very  disa« 
greeable. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  73 

"  How  do  you  do  to-day,  Mrs.  Rogers  ?  " 
Matilda  said,  stepping  nearer  the  bed. 

"  Who's  that  ?  "  was  the  question. 

"  Matilda  Englefield." 

«  Who's  'Tilda  Eggleford  ?  " 

"  I  live  in  the  village,"  said  Matilda.  "  Are 
you  much  sick  ?  " 

"  Laws,  I  be!"  said  the  poor  woman.  "It's 
like  as  if  my  bones  was  on  fire,  some  nights. 
Yes,  I  be  sick.  And  I'll  never  be  no  bet 
ter." 

"  Does  anybody  ever  come  to  read  the 
Bible  to  you  ?  " 

"  Read  the  Bible  ? "  the  sick  woman  re 
peated.  Her  face  looked  dull,  as  if  there  had 
ceased  to  be  any  thoughts  behind  it.  Matilda 
wondered  if  it  was  because  she  had  so  little 
to  think  of.  "  What  about  reading  the 
Bible?"  she  said. 

"  You  cannot  read,  lying  there,  can  you  ?  " 

"  There  ain't  a  book  nowheres  in  the 
house." 

"Not  a  Bible?" 


74  OPPORTUNITIES. 

11  A  Bible  ?  I  hain't  seen  a  Bible  in  five 
year." 

"  Do  you  remember  what  is  in  the  Bible  ?  " 
said  Matilda,  greatly  shocked.  This  was  liv 
ing  without  air, 

"Remember?"  said  the  woman.  "I'm 
tired  o'  'membering.  I'd  like  to  go  to  sleep 
and  remember  no  more.  What's  the  use?" 

"  What  do  you  remember  ?  "  Matilda  asked 
in  some  awe. 

"  I  remember  'most  everything,"  said  the 
woman  wearily.  "  Times  when  I  was  well 
and  strong  —  and  young  —  and  had  my 
house  comfor'ble  and  my  things  respectable. 
Them  times  was  once.  And  I  had  what  I 
wanted,  and  could  do  what  I  had  a  mind  to. 
There  ain't  no  use  in  remembering.  I'd  like 
to  forget.  Now  I  lie  here." 

"Do  you  remember  nothing  else  ?"  said 
Matilda. 

"  I  remember  it  all,"  said  the  woman. 
"  I've  nothin'  to  do  but  think.  When  I  was 
first  married,  and  just  come  home,  and  thought 


OPPORTUNITIES.  75 

all  the  world  was  "  —  she  stopped  to  sigh  — 
"  a  garden  o'  posies.  'Tain't  much  like  it, — 
to  poor  folks.  And  I  had  my  children  around 
me — Sabriny's  the  last  on  'em.  She's  out 
there,  ain't  she  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  What's  she  doin'  ?  " 

"  She  is  ironing." 

"  Yes ;  she  takes  in.  Sabriny  has  it  all  to 
do.  I  can't  do  nothin'  —  this  five  year." 

"  May  I  come  and  see  you  again,  Mrs. 
Rogers  ?  I  must  go  now." 

"  You  may  come  if  you  like,"  was  the 
answer.  "  I  don't  know  what  you  should 
want  to  come  for." 

Matilda  was  afraid  her  fire  of  pine  sticks 
would  give  out ;  and  hurried  across  the  lane 
again  with  her  basket  of  clean  things.  The 
stove  had  fired  up,  to  be  sure ;  and  Mrs. 
Eldridge  was  sitting  crouched  over  it,  with 
an  evident  sense  of  enjoyment  that  went  to 
Matilda's  heart.  If  the  room  now  were  but 
clean,  she  thought,  and  the  other  room ;  and 


76  OPPORTUNITIES. 

the  bed  made,  and  Mrs.  Eldridge  herself — 
There  was  too  much  to  think  of;  Matilda 
gave  it  up,  and  attended  to  the  business  in 
hand.  The  kettle  boiled.  She  made  the  tea 
in  the  teacup ;  laid  a  herring  on  the  stove ; 
spread  some  bread  and  butter ;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  invited  Mrs.  Eldridge's  attention  to 
her  supper  spread  on  a  chair.  The  old 
woman  drank  the  tea  as  if  it  were  the  rarest 
of  delicacies ;  Matilda  filled  up  her  cup  again ; 
and  then  she  fell  to  work  on  the  fish  and 
bread  and  butter,  tearing  them  to  pieces  with 
her  fingers,  and  in  great  though  silent  appre 
ciation.  Meanwhile  Matilda  brought  the 
cupboard  to  a  little  order;  and  then  filling 
up  Mrs.  Eldridge's  cup  for  the  third  time, 
carried  back  the  kettle  to  Sabrina  Rogers 
and  begged  the  loan  of  an  old  broom. 
"  What  do  you  want  to  do  with  it  ?  " 
"  Mrs.  Eldridge's  room  wants  sweeping 
very  much." 

"  Likely  it  does  !     Who's  a  going  to  sweep 
it,  though,  if  I  lend  you  my  broom  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  77 

"  There's  nobody  but  me,"  said  Matilda. 

The  woman  brought  the  broom  and  as 
she  gave  it,  asked,  "  Who  sent  you  to  do  all 
this?" 

«  Nobody." 

"  What  made  you  come,  then  ?  It's  queer 
play  for  a  child  like  you." 

"  Somebody  must  do  it,  you  know,"  said 
Matilda  ;  and  she  ran  away. 

But  Sabrina's  words  recurred  to  her.  It 
was  queer  play.  But  then,  who  would  do 
it?  And  it  was  not  for  Mrs.  Eldridge  alone. 
She  brushed  away  with  a  good  heart,  while 
the  poor  old  woman  was  hovering  over  the 
chair  on  which  her  supper  was  set,  munching 
bread  and  herring  with  a  particularity  of 
attention  which  shewed  how  good  a  good 
meal  was  to  her.  Matilda  did  not  disturb 
her,  and  she  said  never  a  word  to  Matilda ; 
till,  just  as  the  little  girl  had  brought  all  the 
sweepings  of  the  floor  to  the  threshold,  where 
they  lay  in  a  heap,  and  another  stroke  of  the 
broom  would  have  scattered  them  into  the 


78  OPPORTUNITIES. 

street,  the  space  outside  the  door  was  dark 
ened  by  a  figure  the  sight  of  which  nearly 
made  the  broom  fly  out  of  Matilda's  hand. 
Nobody  but  Mr.  Richmond  stood  there.  The 
two  faces  looked  mutual  pleasure  and  surprise 
at  each  other. 

"  Mr.  Richmond !  " 

"  What  are,  you  doing  here,  Tilly  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Richmond,  can  you  step  over  this 
muss  ?  I  will  have  it  away  directly." 

Mr.  Richmond  stepped  in,  looked  at  the 
figure  by  the  stove,  and  then  back  at  Matilda. 
The  little  girl  finished  her  sweeping  and  came 
back,  to  receive  a  warm  grasp  of  the  hand 
from  her  minister ;  one  of  the  things  Matilda 
liked  best  to  get. 

"  Is  all  this  your  work,  Tilly  ? "  he  whis 
pered. 

"  Mr.  Richmond,  nobody  has  given  her 
a  cup  of  tea  in  a  long  while." 

The  minister  stepped  softly  to  the  figure 
still  bending  over  the  broken  herring;  I  think 
his  blue  eye  had  an  unusual  softness  in  it. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  79 

The  old  woman  pushed  her  chair  back  and 
looked  up  at  him. 

"  It's  the  minister  agin,"  said  she. 

"  Are  you  glad  to  see  me  ?  "  said  Mr.  Rich 
mond,  taking  a  chair  that  Matilda  had  dusted 
for  him ;  I  am  afraid  she  took  off  her  apron 
to  do  it  with,  but  the  occasion  was  pressing. 
There  was  no  distinct  answer  to  the  minister's 
question. 

"  You  seem  to  have  had  some  supper  here," 
he  remarked. 

"  It's  a  good  cup  o'  tea,"  said  Mrs.  Eldridge ; 
—  "a  good  cup  o'  tea.  I  hain't  seen  such  a 
good  cup  o'  tea,  not  since  ten  year ! " 

"  I  am  very  glad  of  that.  And  you  feel 
better  for  it,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  A  good  cup  o'  tea  —  makes  one  feel  like 
folks,"  Mrs.  Eldridge  assented. 

"  And  it  is  pleasant  to  think  that  somebody 
cares  for  us,"  Mr.  Richmond  went  on. 

"  I  didn't  think  as  there  warn't  nobody," 
said  Mrs.  Eldridge  wiping  her  lips. 

"  You  see  you  were  mistaken.  Here  are 
two  people  that  care  for  you." 


8o  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  She  cares  the  most,"  said  Mrs.  Eldridge, 
with  a  little  nod  of  her  head  towards  Matilda. 

"  I  will  not  dispute  that,"  said  the  minister 
laughing.  "  She  has  cared  fire  and  tea  and 
bread  and  fish,  —  hasn't  she  ?  and  you  think 
I  have  only  cared  to  come '  and  see  you. 
Don't  you  like  that  ?  " 

"  I  used  fur  to  have  visits,"  said  the  poor 
old  woman,  —  "  when  I  had  a  nice  place,  and 
was  fixed  up  respectable.  I  had  visits.  Yes, 
I  had.  There  don't  no  one  come  now.  There 
won't  no  more  on  'ern  come.  No  more." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  mistaken,  Mrs.  Eldridge. 
Do  you  see  how  much  you  were  mistaken  in 
thinking  that  no  one  cared  for  you  ?  Do  you 
know  there  is  more  care  for  you  than  hers  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  why  she  cares,"  said  Mrs, 
Eldridge. 

"  Who  do  you  think  sent  her,  and  told  her 
to  care  for  you  ?  " 

"  Who  sent  her  "  —  the  woman  repeated. 

"  Yes,  who  sent  her.  Who  do  you  think 
it  was  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  8 1 

As  he  got  but  a  lack-lustre  look  in  reply, 
the  minister  went  on. 

"  This  little  girl  is  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  he  sent  her  to  come  and 
see  you  and  care  for  you ;  and  he  did  that 
because  he  cares.  He  cares  about  you.  He 
loves  you,  and  sent  his  little  servant  to  be  his 
messenger." 

"  He  didn't  send  no  one  afore,"  the  old 
woman  remarked. 

"  Yes,  he  did,"  said  Mr.  Richmond,  growing 
grave,  — "  he  sent  others,  but  they  did  not 
come.  They  did  not  do  what  he  gave  them 
to  do.  And  now,  Mrs.  Eldridge,  we  bring  you 
a  message  from  the  Lord  —  this  little  girl  and 
I  do,  —  that  he  loves  you  and  wants  you  to 
love  him.  You  know  you  never  have  loved, 
or  trusted,  or  obeyed  him,  in  all  your  life. 
And  now,  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee 
to  repentance." 

"  There  ain't  much  as  a  poor  old  thing  like 
I  can  do,"  she  said  after  a  long  pause. 

"  You  can  trust  the  Lord  that  died  for  you, 
6 


82  OPPORTUNITIES. 

and  love  him,  and  thank  him.  You  can  give 
yourself  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  be  made  pure 
and  good.  Can't  you?  Then  he  will  fit  you 
for  his  glorious  place  up  yonder.  You  must  be 
fitted  for  it,  you  know.  Nothing  that  defileth 
or  is  defiled  can  go  in ;  only  those  that  havt 
washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Listen  now  while 
I  read  about  that." 

Mr.  Richmond  opened  his  Bible  and  read, 
first  the  seventh  chapter  of  the  Revelation  and 
then  the  twenty-second ;  and  Matilda,  stand 
ing  and  leaning  on  the  back  of  his  chair, 
thought  how  wonderful  the  words  were ;  that 
even  so  poor  an  old  helpless  creature  as  the 
one  opposite  him  might  come  to  have  a  share 
in  them.  Perhaps  the  wonder  and  the  beauty 
of  them  struck  Mrs.  Eldridge  too ;  for  she 
listened  very  silently.  And  then  Mr.  Rich 
mond  knelt  down  and  prayed. 

After  that,  he  and  Matilda  together  took 
the  way  home.  The  evening  was  falling; 
and  soft  and  sweet  the  light  and  the  air  came 


OPPORTUNITIES.  83 

through  the  trees,  and  breathed  even  over 
Lilac  lane.  The  minister  and  the  little  girl 
together  drew  fresh  breaths.  It  was  all  so 
delicious  after  the  inside  of  the  poor  house 
where  they  had  been. 

"  Light  is  a  pleasant  thing !  "  said  the 
minister,  half  to  himself.  "  I  think,  Matilda, 
heaven  will  seem  something  so,  when  we  get 
there." 

"  Like  this  evening,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  " 

"  Like  this  evening  light  and  beauty,  after 
coming  out  of  Mrs.  Eldridge's  house." 

"  And  then,  will  this  world  seem  like  Mrs. 
Eldridge's  house  ?  " 

"I  think  it  will,  —  in  the  contrast.  Look 
at  those  dainty  little  flecks  of  cloud  yonder, 
low  down  in  the  sky,  that  seem  to  have 
caught  the  light  in  their  vaporous  drapery 
and  embodied  it.  See  what  brilliance  of 
colour  is  there,  and  upon  what  a  pure  sky 
beyond !  " 

"  Will  this  ever  seem  like  Mrs.  Eldridge's 
house  ?  "  said  Matilda. 


84  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  This  is  the  world  that  God  made,"  said 
the  minister  smiling.  "  I  was  thinking  of 
the  world  that  man  has  made." 

"  Lilac  lane,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  "  said  Matilda 
glancing  around  her.  They  were  hardly  out 
of  it. 

"  Lilac  lane  is  not  such  a  bad  specimen," 
said  the  minister,  with  a  sigh  this  time. 
"  There  is  much  worse  than  this,  Matilda. 
And  the  worst  of  Lilac  lane  is  what  you  do 
nof  see.  —  You  had  to  buy  your  opportunity, 
then  ?  "  he  added  with  a  smile  again,  looking 
down  at  Matilda. 

"  I  suppose  I  had,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  What  did  you  pay  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Richmond,  it  was  not  pleasant  to 
think  of  touching  Mrs.  Eldridge's  things." 

"  No.  I  should  think  not.  But  you  are 
not  sorry  you  came  ?  Don't  you  find,  that 
as  I  said,  it  pays  ?  " 

"  O  yes,  sir !     But "  - 

"But  what?" 

"  There  is  so  much  to  do." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  85 

u  Yes  !  "  —  said  the  minister  thoughtfully. 
And  it  seemed  to  have  stopped  his  talk. 

"  Is  Mrs.  Rogers  the  other  one  ?  "  Matilda 
asked. 

"  The  other  one  ?  "  repeated  Mr.  Richmond. 

"  The  other  opportunity.  You  said  there 
were  two  in  Lilac  lane,  sir." 

"  I  do  not  know  Mrs.  Rogers." 

"  But  she  is  another  one  that  wants  the 
Bible  read  to  her,  Mr.  Richmond.  She  lives 
just  across  the  way  —  I  found  her  out  by 
going  to  borrow  a  tea-kettle." 

"  You  borrowed  your  tea-kettle  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  Mrs.  Eldridge  has  none.  She 
has  almost  nothing,  and  as  she  says,  there  is 
nobody  that  cares." 

"  Well,  that  will  not  do,"  said  the  minister. 
"  We  must  see  about  getting  a  kettle  for 
her." 

"  Then,  Mr.  Richmond,  Mrs.  Rogers  is  a 
third  opportunity.  She  has  been  sick  abed 
for  five  years,  and  there  is  not  a  Bible  in  the 
house." 


86  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  There  are  opportunities  starting  up  on 
every  side,  as  soon  as  we  are  ready  for 
them,"  said  the  minister. 

"But  Mr.  .Richmond — I  am  afraid,  —  I 
am  not  ready  for  them." 

"  Why  so,  my  dear  child  ?  I  thought  you 
were." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  was  sorry  when  I  found  out 
about  Mrs.  Rogers." 

"  Why  were  you  sorry  ?  " 

"  There  seemed  so  much  to  do,  Mr.  Rich 
mond!  so  much  disagreeable  work.  Why, 
it  would  take  every  bit  of  time  I  have  got,  — 
and  more,  —  to  attend  to  those  two;  every 
bit." 

There  came  a  rush  of  something  that  for 
a  moment  dimmed  Mr.  Richmond's  blue  eyes  ; 
and  for  a  moment  he  was  silent.  And  for 
that  moment  too  the  language  of  gold  clouds 
and  sky  was  a  sharp  answer  —  the  answer  of 
Light,  —  to  the  thoughts  of  earth. 

"  It  is  very  natural,"  —  Mr.  Richmond  said. 
"  It  is  a  natural  feeling." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  87 

"  But  it  is  not  right,  is  it  ? "  said  Matilda 
timidly. 

"  Is  it  like  Jesus  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Then  it  cannot  be  right.  '  Who  being  in 
the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God :  but  made  himself  of  no 
reputation,  and  took  upon  himself  the  form 
of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness 
of  men:  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man,  he  humbled  himself  and  became  obe 
dient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.' 

"  Who  '  pleased  not  himself.'  Who  '  had 
not  where  to  lay  his  head.!  Who,  'though 
he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes  he  became 
poor.'  '  He  laid  down  his  life  for  us ;  and 
•we  ought  to  lay  our  lives  down  for  the 
brethren.'  " 

Matilda  listened,  with  a  choking  feeling 
coming  in  her  throat. 

"  But  then,  what  can  I  do,  Mr.  Richmond  ? 
how  can  I  help  feeling  so  ?  " 

"  There    is    only  one  way,  dear  Matilda," 


88  OPPORTUNITIES. 

said  her  friend.  "  The  way  is,  to  love  Jesus 
so  much,  that  you  like  his  will  better  than 
your  own;  so  much,  that  you  would  rather 
please  him  than  please  yourself." 

"  How  can  I  get  that,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  " 

"  Where  we  get  all  other  good  things. 
Ask  the  Lord  to  reveal  himself  in  your  heart, 
so  that  the  love  of  him  may  take  full  posses 
sion." 

The  walk  was  silent  for  the  greater  part  of 
the  remaining  way;  silent  and  pleasant.  The 
colours  of  sunset  faded  away,  but  a  cool,  fair, 
clear  heaven  carried  on  the  beauty  and  the 
wordless  speech  of  the  earlier  evening.  At 
Matilda's  gate  Mr.  Richmond  stopped,  and 
holding  her  hand  still,  spoke  with  a  bright 
smile. 

"  I  will  give  you  a  text  to  think  about  and 
pray  over,  Matilda." 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  Keep  it,  and  think  of  it,  and  pray  about 
it,  till  you  understand  it,  and  love  it." 

«  Yes,  Mr.  Richmond.    I  will." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  89 

"  The  words  are  these.  You  will  find 
them  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  second 
epistle  to  the  Corinthians." 

"  In  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  second  epistle 
to  the  Corinthians.  Yes,  sir." 

"  These  are  the  words.  '  Always  bearing 
about  in  the  body  the  dying  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  might  be 
made  manifest  in  our  body.'  Good  night." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

"\ /TATILDA  thought  so  much  over  Lilac, 
lane  and  the  words  Mr.  Richmond  had 
given  her,  that  Maria  charged  her  with  being 
unsociable.  Much  Matilda  wished  that  she 
could  have  talked  with  her  sister  about  those 
same  words ;  but  Maria  was  in  another  line. 

"  You  are  getting  so  wrapped  up  in  your 
self,"  she  said,  "there  is  no  comfort  in  you. 
I  might  as  well  have  no  sister.  And  I  guess 
aunt  Candy  means  I  sha'n't.  She  gives  you 
all  the  good  times,  up  in  her  room,  among 
the  pretty  things;  I  am  only  fit  for  washing 
dishes.  Well,  it's  her  opinion.  It  isn't 
mine." 

"  I  don't  have  a  good  time  up  there,  Maria, 
indeed.  I  would  a  great  deal  rather  be  down 
here  washing  dishes,  or  doing  any  thing." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  9 1 

"  What  do  you  go  there  for,  then  ?  " 

"  I  have  to  go." 

"  We  didn't  use  to  have  to  do  anything, 
when  mamma  was  living.  I  wouldn't  do  it 
if  I  were  you,  if  I  didn't  like  it." 

"I  don't  like  it,"  said  Matilda;  "but  I 
think  I  ought  to  do  what  aunt  Candy  wishes, 
as  long  as  it  is  not  something  wrong." 

"  She'll  come  to  that,"  said  Maria  ;  «  or  it'll 
be  something  you  will  think  wrong;  and  then 
we  shall  have  a  time  !  I  declare,  I  believe  I 
shall  be  glad  !  " 

"  What  for,  Maria  ?  " 

"  Why !  Then  I  shall  have  you  again. 
You'll  come  on  rny  side.  It's  lonely,  to  have 
the  dirty  work  all  to  myself.  I  don't  suppose 
you  mind  it." 

«  Indeed  but  I  do,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  don't 
like  to  sit  upstairs  darning  stockings." 

"  And  reading.     And  I  don't  know  what." 

"  The  reading  is  worse,"  said  Matilda  sigh 
ing.  "  It  is  something  I  do  not  understand." 

"  What  does  she  make  you  do  it  for  ?  " 


92  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Matilda  with  another 
sigh.  "But  I  want  to  do  something  else 
dreadfully,  all  the  time." 

The  darning  was  very  tedious  indeed  the 
morning  after  this  talk.  Matilda  had  got 
her  head  full  of  schemes  and  plans  that 
looked  pleasant;  and  she  was  eager  to  turn 
her  visions  into  reality.  It  was  stupid  to  sit 
in  her  aunt's  room,  taking  up  threads  on  her 
long  needle  exactly  and  patiently,  row  after 
row.  It  had  to  be  done  exactly,  or  Mrs. 
Candy  would  have  made  her  pick  it  all  out 
again. 

"  Yes,  that  is  very  well ;  that  is  neat,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy,  when  Matilda  brought  her  the 
stocking  she  had  been  at  work  on,  with  the 
heel  smoothly  run.  "  That  will  do.  Now 
you  may  begin-  upon  another  one.  There 
they  are,  in  that  basket." 

"  But  aunt  Candy,"  said  Matilda  in  dismay, 
"  don't  you  think  I  have  learned  now  how 
to  do  it?  " 

"  Yes,  pretty  well." 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


93 


"  Then,  need  I  do  any  more  ?  " 

"  A  little  further  practice  will  not  hurt  you. 
Practice  makes  perfect,  you  know." 

"  But  do  you  mean  that  I  must  darn  all 
those  stockings." 

"  Aren't  they  yours  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am —  I  believe  they  are." 

"  Who  should  darn  them  then  ?  " 

Matilda  very  sorrowfully  remembered  the 
hand  which  did  darn  them  once  and  thought 
it  no  hardship.  Her  hand  went  swiftly  up 
to  her  eyes  before  she  spoke  again. 

"  I  think  it  is  right  I  should  do  them ;  and 
I  will.  May  I  take  them  away  and  do  them 
in  my  own  room  ?  " 

"  You  may  do  exactly  what  I  tell  you,  my 
dear." 

"  Does  it  make  any  difference,  aunt  Can 
dy?" 

"  That  is  something  you  need  not  consider. 
All  you  have  to  do  is  to  obey  orders.  The 
more  prom'ptly  and  quietly,  the  easier  for 
you,  Matilda." 


94  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Matilda  coloured,  bridled,  kept  down  the 
wish  to  cry,  and  began  upon  the  second  heel 
of  her  stockings.  She  was  tired  of  that  long 
needle  and  its  long  needleful  of  double  thread. 

"  Matilda,"  said  her  aunt,  "  put  down  your 
stocking  and  look  at  me." 

Which  Matilda  did,  much  surprised. 

"  When  you  wish  to  answer  any  thing  I 
say,  I  prefer  always  that  you  should  answer 
me  in  words." 

«  Ma'am  ?  "  said  Matilda. 

"  You  heard  me." 

"  But  I  did  not  understand  you." 

"  Again !  "  said  Clarissa. 

"  I  do  not  like  to  be  answered  by  gestures. 
Do  you  understand  that  ?  " 

"  No,  ma'am ;  I  do  not  know  what  you 
mean  by  saying  it." 

"  You  do  not  know  that  you  answered  me 
by  a  toss  of  your  head  just  now  ?  " 

"  No,  ma'am ;    certainly  not." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it.  *  Don't  do  it 
again." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  95 

It  would  have  been  very  like  Matilda  to 
do  it  again  just  there ;  but  bewilderment 
quite  put  down  other  emotions  for  the  time. 
Except  the  sense  of  being  wronged ;  and 
that  is  a  feeling  very  hard  to  bear.  Matilda 
had  scarcely  known  it  before  in  her  little  life ; 
the  sensation  was  as  new  as  it  was  painful. 
She  was  utterly  unconscious  of  having  done 
anything  that  ought  to  be  found  fault  with. 
The  darning  needle  went  vgry  fast  for  the  next 
half  hour  ;  and  Matilda's  cheek  was  bright. 

"  They  haven't  got  a  fire  upstairs,  have 
they  ? "  Maria  questioned,  when  her  little 
sister  rejoined  her. 

"  No,  not  to-day.     Why  ?  " 

"  You  look  as  if  you  had  been  somewhere 
where  it  was  warm." 

But  Matilda  did  not  say  what  sort  of  fire 
had  warmed  her. 

She  forgot  all  about  it  and  about  all  other 
grievances,  as  soon  as  she  was  free  to  go  out 
in  the  afternoon.  For  now  some  of  her 
visions  were  to  be  realized.  Yesterday  after- 


96  OPPORTUNITIES. 

noon  had  been  so  pleasant,  on  the  whole,  that 
Matilda  determined  to  seek  a  renewal  of  the 
pleasure.  And  first  and  foremost,  she  had 
determined  to  get  Mrs.  Eldridge  a  tea-kettle. 
She  had  money  enough  yet ;  only  her  Bible 
and  yesterday's  purchases  had  come  out  of 
her  twenty-five  dollars.  "  A  tea-kettle  —  and 
what  else  ?  "  thought  Matilda.  "  Some 
towels?  She  does  dreadfully  want  some 
towels.  But  then}-J  cannot  get  everything!  " 

Slowly  going  towards  the  corner,  with  her 
eyes  on  the  ground,  her  two  hands  were  sud 
denly  seized  by  somebody  and  she  was 
brought  to  a  stand-still. 

"Norton!"  cried  Matilda  joyously. 

"  Yes.     What  has  become  of  you  ?  " 

"01  have  been  so  busy !  " 

«  School  ?  "  said  Norton. 

"  O  no ;  I  don't  go  to  school.  I  have 
things  to  do  at  home." 

«  Things  !  "  said  Norton.  "  Why  don't 
you  speak  straight?  What  things  ?  your 
lessons  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  97 

"  I  don't  have  lessons,  Norton,"  said  the 
child  patiently,  lifting  her  eyes  to  Norton's 
face.  "  My  aunt  gives  me  other  things. to  do." 

"  Don't  you  have  lessons  at  all  ? "  said 
Norton. 

l<  Not  now.     I  wish  I  did." 

"  Where  are  you  going  now,  Pink  ?  " 

"  Pink ! "  echoed  Matilda. 

"  Yes,  that's  your  name.  Where  are  you 
going  ?  Come  home  with  me." 

"  I  have  got  business,  Norton." 

"  You  haven't  got "  —  said  Norton  peering 
round  — "  Yes,  I  declare  she  has  got  —  that 
Bible  tucked  under  her  arm !  Are  you  going 
to  see  nobody  again  ?  " 

Matilda  nodded. 

"  I'll  go  too,"  said  Norton,  "  and  find  out 
what  it  all  means.  Give  me  the  book,  and 
I'll  carry  it." 

"But  Norton!"  said  Matilda  holding  the 
Bible  fast,  "  I  would  like  to  have  you,  but  I 
am  afraid  you  wouldn't  like  it." 

"  Like  what,  Pink  ?     The  Bible  ?  " 
7 


98  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  O  no.  O  yes,  I  wish  you  did  like  that ; 
but  I  mean,  where  I  am  going." 

«  Do  you  like  it  ?" 

"  I  like  to  go.  I  don't  like  the  place,  Nor 
ton,  for  the  place  is  very  disagreeable." 

"  So  I  should  think.  But  I  might  like  'to 
go  too,  you  know.  I'm  going  to  try." 

Matilda  stood  still  and  looked  very  dubious. 

"  I'm  going,"  Norton  repeated  laughing. 
"  You  want  me  to  go,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Why  I  would  like  it  very  much,  if  you 
would  not"  — 

"What?  No,  I  will  not,"  said  Norton 
shaking  his  head. 

"  But  Norton,  I  am  going  into  Mr.  For- 
shew's,  first." 

"  Well ;  I  can  go  into  Mr.  Forshew's  too. 
I've  been'there  before." 

"  I  am  going  to  buy  a  tea-kettle." 

"  I  shall  not  interfere  with  that,"  said  Nor 
ton. 

"  But  I  am  going  to  get  a  tea-kettle  and 
take  it  along  with  me ;  to  Lilac  lane." 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


99 


"  What  for  ?  They'll  send  it  if  you  want 
it." 

"  I  want  it  immediately ;  and  Mr.  Forshew's 
boy  is  never  there  when  he  is  wanted,  you 
know." 

"  You  want  the  tea-kettle  immediately.  You 
are  not  going  to  make  tea  immediately,  are 
you?" 

"  Exactly  that,  Norton.  That  is  one  of  the 
things  I  am  going  to  do.  And  the  poor  old 
woman  I  am  going  to  see,  has  no  tea-kettle." 

"  Then  I  don't  believe  she  has  tea." 

"  O  yes,  but  I  know  she  has  tea,  Norton." 

«  And  bread  and  butter  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  bread  and  butter  too,"  said  Ma 
tilda,  nodding  her  little  head  positively. 
Norton  looked  at  her  with  a  perfectly  grave 
face. 

"  It  must  be  a  very  odd  house,"  said  he,  "  I 
don't  see  how  you  can  be  so  sure  of  things." 

Matilda  began  to  walk  on  towards  the 
corner. 

"  Who  took  her  tea  and  bread  and  butter  ?  " 


1 00  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

said  Norton.  "  I  suppose  you  know,  if  you 
know  the  rest." 

"  Of  course,  somebody  must  have  done  it," 
said  Matilda  hesitating. 

"  I  wonder  if  there  was  a  Pink  anywhere 
among  the  things,"  said  Norton.  "  Did  you 
see  anything  of  it  ?  " 

Matilda  could  not  help  laughing,  and  they 
both  laughed;  and  so  they  went  into  Mr. 
Forshew's  shop.  Tt  was  a  little  low  shop, 
just  on  the  corner  ;  but  to  be  sure,  there  was 
a  great  variety  and  a  good  collection  of  things 
there.  All  sorts  of  iron  things,  and  a  great 
many  sorts  of  tin  things  ;  with  iron  dust  and 
street  dust  plentifully  overlying  the  shop  and 
everything  in  it.  Stoves  were  there  in  variety  ; 
chains  and  brooms  and  coalskuttles ;  coffee- 
mills  and  axes  and  lamps ;  tin  pails  and 
earthen  batter  jars ;  screws  and  nails  and 
hinges  and  locks  ;  and  a  telegraph  operator 
was  at  work  in  a  corner.  Several  customers 
were  there  too ;  Matilda  had  to  wait. 

"  It  is  odd  now,"  said  Norton.     "  I  suppose, 


OPPORTUNITIES.  ioi 

if  I  wanted  to  spend  money  here,  I  should  buy 
everything  else  in  the  world  but  a  tea-kettle. 
That's  what  it  is  to  be  a  girl." 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Matilda,  and  the  set  of 
her  head  was  inimitable.  Norton  laughed. 

"  That's  what  it  is  to  be  a  Pink," '  he  said. 
"  I  forgot.  I  don't  believe  there  is  another 
girl  in  town  wants  a  tea-kettle  but  you. 
What  else  do  you  want,  Pink  ?  " 

"  A  great  deal,"  said  Matilda  ;  "  but  I  can't 
get  all  I  want." 

"  You  don't  want  an  axe,  for  instance ;  nor 
a  coffee-mill ;  nor  a  tin  pail,  nor  an  iron  chain, 
nor  a  dipper;  nor  screws,  nor  tacks;  nor  a 
lamp,  do  you  ?  nor  a  box  of  matches  "  — 

"  O  yes,  Norton !  O  yes,  that  is  just  what 
I  do  want ;  a  box  of  matches.  I  never  should 
have  thought  of  it." 

"  How  about  stoves,  Pink  ?  Here  are 
plenty." 

"  She  has  a  stove.  Don't  be  ridiculous, 
Norton." 

And  Mr.  Forshew  being  just  then  at  lei- 


102  OPPORTUNITIES. 

sure,  Matilda  purchased  a  little  tin  tea-kettle 
and  came  out  with  it  in  triumph. 

«  Now  is  that  all  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  How 
about  the  bread  and  butter  ?  Perhaps  it  has 
given  out." 

"  No,  I  think  not.  I  guess  there  is  enough. 
Perhaps  we  had  better  take  another  loaf  of 
bread,  though.  We  shall  pass  the  baker's  on 
our  way." 

"  Have  you  got  money  enough  for  every 
thing  you  want,  Pink  ?  does  your  aunt  give 
you  whatever  you  ask  for  ?  " 

"  O  I  never  ask  her  for  anything,"  said 
Matilda. 

"  Take  it  without  asking  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  ask,  and  she  does  not  give  me, 
Norton.  But  once  she  did,  when  she  first 
came ;  she  gave  me,  each  of  us,  twenty-five 
dollars.  I  have  got  that,  all  that  is  left  of 
it." 

"  How  much  is  left  of  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  don't  know  exactly.  T  spent  four 
dollars  for  something  else ;  then  eighty-five 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


103 


cents  yesterday,  and  a  dollar  just,  to-day. 
That  makes  "  — 

"  Five  eighty-five,"  said  Norton.  "And  that 
out  of  twenty-five,  leaves  nineteen  fifteen." 

"  I've  got  that,  then,"  said  Matilda. 

"  And  no  hope  of  more  ?  That  won't  do, 
Pink.  Nineteen  dollars  won't  last  for  ever  at 
this  rate.  Here's  the  baker's." 

The  bread  Norton  paid  for  and  carried  off; 
and  the  two  stepped  along  briskly  to  Lilac 
lane. 

Matilda  was  very  glad  privately  that  she 
had  swept  Mrs.  Eldridge's  floor  yesterday. 
The  place  looked  so  much  the  more  decent ; 
though  as  it  was,  Norton  cast  his  eyes  around 
him  whistling  low,  and  Matilda  knew  well 
enough  that  he  regarded  it  as  a  very  odd 
place  for  either  himself  or  Pink  to  find  them 
selves  in. 

"  What's  to  be  done  now  ?  "  he  inquired  of 
her,  as  she  was  putting  the  bread  and  matches 
on  a  shelf  of  the  cupboard. 

"  The  first  thing  is  to  make  a  fire,  Norton. 


104  OPPORTUNITIES. 

I've  got  wood  enough  here.  And  the 
matches." 

"  You  have  got "  —  said  Norton  stooping  to 
fetch  out  the  sticks  from  the  lower  cupboard 
where  Matilda  had  stowed  them.  "  Did  you 
get  it  ?  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Swain  split  it  up  for  me,  —  at  the 
iron  shop,  you  know." 

"  Did  you  go  to  the  iron  shop  for  it  ?  And 
bring  it  back  yourself?  " 

"  There  was  nobody  else  to  do  it,"  said 
Matilda. 

"You're  a  brick!"  said  Norton.  "That's 
what  I  said.  But  is  this  all,  Pink  ?  " 

"  It  is  plenty,  Norton." 

"  Plenty  for  to-day.  It  won't  last  for  any 
more.  What  then  ?  " 

« I  don't  know,"  said  Matilda.  "  O  Norton, 
are  you  going  to  make  the  fire  ?  " 

Norton  shewed  that  such  was  his  intention, 
and  shewed  besides  that  he  knew  very  well 
what  he  was  about.  Matilda,  after  looking 
on  admiringly,  ran  off  to  the  pump  with  her 


OPPORTUNITIES.  105 

kettle.  The  pump  was  at  some  distance ; 
before  she  could  fill  her  kettle  and  come  back, 
Norton  overtook  her.  He  quietly  assumed 
the  tea-kettle  as  a  matter  of  course. 

"  O  thank  you,  Norton  !  how  good  you  are," 
Matilda  exclaimed.  "  It  was  heavy." 

"  Look  here.  Do  you  come  here  to  do  this 
sort  of  thing  all  by  yourself  ?  "  said  Norton. 

"  I  cannot  help  that,"  said  Matilda.  "  And 
I  like  to  do  it,  too." 

"  You  mustn't  "  —  said  Norton. 

"  Who  will,  then,  Norton  ?  And  the  poor 
old  woman  cannot  do  anything  for  herself." 

"  Isn't  there  somebody  in  the  world  to  take 
care  of  her  ?  " 

"  No ;  nobody." 

"  That's  a  shame.  And  I  don't  believe  it, 
either." 

"  O  but  there  is  nobody,  Norton.  She  is 
quite  alone.  And  if  some  one  will  not  help 
her,  she  must  go  without  everything." 

Norton  said  no  more,  but  he  looked  very 
much  disgusted  with  this  state  of  society. 


106  OPPORTUNITIES. 

He  silently  watched  what  Matilda  was  doing, 
without  putting  in  any  hinderance  or  hinting 
at  any  annoyance  further ;  which  she  thought 
was  very  good  of  him.  Instead  of  that,  he 
looked  after  the  fire  and  lifted  the  kettle  when 
it  was  needful.  Matilda  as  yesterday  made 
the  tea  and  spread  bread  and  butter  and 
cooked  a  herring ;  and  then  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  seeing  the  poor  old  woman  luxuriating 
over  what  was  to  her  a  delicious  meal.  She 
had  said  very  little  since  their  coming  in ; 
but  eyed  all  they  did,  with  a  gradual  relaxing 
of  the  lines  of  her  face.  Something  like 
pleasure,  something  like  comfort,  was  stealing 
into  her  heart  and  working  to  soften  those 
hard  lines.  Matilda  waited  now  until  the 
meal  should  be  quite  finished  before  she 
brought  forward  anything  of  different  in 
terest. 

"  That's  a  new  kettle,"  —  was  the  first 
remark,  made  while  Matilda  was  clearing 
away  the  remains  of  the  supper. 

"  How  do  you  like  it  ?  "  said  Norton. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  107 

The  old  woman  looked  at  him,  she  had 
done  that  a  great  deal  already,  and  answered, 
«  Who  be  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  the  fellow  that  brought  the  kettle 
from  the  shop,"  said  Norton. 

«  Whose  kettle  is  it  ?  " 

"It  ought  to  be  your's  —  it's  on  your 
stove." 

"It  is  your's,  Mrs.  Eldridge,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Well,  I  hain't  had  a  tea-kettle,"  said  the 
old  woman  meditatively,  "  not  since  —  I 
declare,  I  don't  know  when  'twas.  I  hain't 
had  a  tea-kettle,  not  since  my  old  un  fell 
down  the  well.  I  never  could  get  it  out. 
That  one  hadn't  no  kiver." 

"  Don't  let  this  one  get  down  in  the  well," 
said  Norton. 

"  I  shan't  go  to  the  well  no  more,"  said 
Mrs.  Eldridge.  "  When  I  had  a  place,  and  a 
well,  and  a  bucket,  —  it  was  good  times ! 
That  ain't  my  kettle." 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Eldridge,  it  is,"  said  Matilda. 
"  Tt  is  your's ;  and  it  just  fits  the  stove  hole." 


I08  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  A  kettle's  a  good  thing,"  said  the  old 
woman.  "  It  looks  good." 

"  Now  would  you  like  to  have  a  little  read 
ing  again?"  Matilda  inquired,  bringing  out 
her  Bible. 

"  Have  you  got  anything  more  about  the 
—  what  was  it?  I  don'  know  what  'twas." 

"  About  the  shepherd  ?  the  Good  Shep 
herd  ?  " 

"  You  may  read  a  bit  about  that,"  said  the 
old  woman.  "  There  ain't  no  shepherds  now, 
is  there  ?  " 

"  Plenty  of  'em,"  said  Norton. 

"  It  don't  seem  as  if  there  was  no  place  for 
'em  to  keep  the  sheep.  /  don't  see  none. 
But  he  used  for  to  be  a  shepherd ;  and  he 
took  good  care  of  'em,  he  did." 

"  The  Lord  Jesus  is  the  Good  Shepherd  ; 
and  he  takes  good  care  of  his  sheep,"  said 
Matilda.  "  He  cares  for  them  always.  He 
cares  for  you,  Mrs.  Eldridge." 

The  old  woman  made  no  answer  to  this ; 
but  instead,  sat  with  so  meditative  a  look 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


109 


upon  her  face  that  Matilda,  though  she  had 
her  book  open  to  read,  forbore,  and  waited. 

"  Did  he  send  you  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Eldridge. 

Norton  glanced  a  quick  look  of  amuse 
ment  at  Matilda,  but  Matilda  simply  answered. 
"  Yes." 

"  I  didn't  know  as  there  was  any  one  as 
cared,"  she  said  slowly. 

Matilda  began  to  read,  upon  that;  giving 
her  the  twenty-third  psalm  again ;  then  the 
tenth  chapter  of  John ;  finishing  with  one  or 
two  passages  in  the  Revelation.  Norton 
stood  in  the  doorway  while  she  read,  looking 
out  and  looking  in,  very  quiet;  and  Mrs. 
Eldridge  sat  and  listened  and  gave  tremulous 
shakes  of  her  old  head,  and  was  very  quiet  too. 

"  I  must  go  now,"  said  Matilda,  when  she 
had  done  and  had  paused  a  few  minutes. 

"  It  has  a  good  sound  " —  said  the  old 
woman. 

"  It's  true  " —  said  Matilda. 

And  she  and  Norton  took  their  leave. 
Then  began  a  joyous  walk  home. 


110  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Pink,"  said  Norton,  when  they  were  got  a 
little  way  from  the  house,  —  "  you  made  your 
tea  in  a  tea-cup." 

"  Yes ;  there  is  only  a  wretched  little  tin 
tea-pot  there,  not  fit  to  be  used  ;  it  is  in  such 
a  state." 

"  No  spoons  either?  " 

"  No,  and  no  spoons.  There  is  hardly  any 
thing  there  at  all,  Norton." 

"  I  don't  see  how  people  come  to  be  so 
poor,"  said  Norton. 

"No,  /don't,"  said  Matilda.  «  But  she  is 
old,  you  see,  and  cannot  help  herself,  and  has 
no  one  left  that  does  care  about  her.  Nobody 
in  the  world,  I  mean." 

"  That  house  is  in  a  tremendous  condition," 
said  Norton.  "  For  dirt  I  mean." 

"  Yes,  I  know  it." 

"  I  don't  see  why  somebody  hasn't  cleaned 
it  before  now." 

"Why  Norton,  who  should  do  it?  None 
of  the  neighbours  care  anything  about  her." 

»  Is  she  bad  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  m 

"  No,  Norton !  not  bad  at  all ;  but  they  are 
poor  too,  and  sick,  some  of  them ;  and  they 
have  their  own  work  to  do,  and  their  own 
things  to  get,  and  they  haven't  anything  to 
spare  for  her." 

"  She  was  glad  of  that  tea-kettle." 

"Wasn't  she !     I  could  see  that." 

"  But  I  say,  Pink  !  I  don't  see  how  people 
come  to  be  so  poor.  There's  money  enough." 

"  For  some  people  " —  said  Matilda. 

"  Money  enough  for  everybody." 

"  Perhaps,  —  if  it  was  divided  " —  said  Ma 
tilda.  "  But  Norton,  it  isn't.  The  rich  peo 
ple  have  got  it  almost  all." 

"  Have  they  ?  "  said  Norton.  «  Then  they 
ought  to  look  out  for  such  poor  chaps  as 
this." 

"  So  I  think,  Norton,"  said  Matilda  eagerly. 

"  But  Pink,  you  can't  do  it.  You  are  only 
one,  and  you  can't  take  care  of  all  Lilac  lane, 
to  begin  with.  That's  what  I  am  thinking 
about." 

"  No,  not  all  the  lane.     But  1  can  do  some- 


112  OPPORTUNITIES. 

thing.  I  can  read  to  Mrs.  Eldridge,  and 
Mrs.  Rogers." 

"  You  can't  buy  tea-kettles,  though,  for 
Mrs.  Eldridge  and  Mrs.  Rogers,  with  the  tea 
and  the  sugar  and  the  bread  and  butter  and 
the  fish  and  the  mutton  chops  they  will  all 
want.  Your  nineteen  dollars  will  soon  be 
gone  at  that  rate." 

"  Mutton  chops !  "  echoed  Matilda.  "  Nor 
ton,  they  do  not  see  anything  so  good  as 
mutton  chops." 

"They  ought  to,"  said  Norton.  "They 
have  as  much  right  as  other  folks." 

"  But  they  can't,  Norton." 

"  Yes,  they  can,  Pink.  We'll  take  'em  some 
for  once.  They  shall  know  how  mutton 
tastes." 

"  Oh  Norton ! "  said  Matilda  in  a  low 
voice  of  delight,  "  how  good  that  would  be  !  " 

"  But  what  I  say"  continued  the  boy  with 
emphasis,  —  "  you  cannot  go  on  doing  this. 
Tour  money  will  not  last." 

"  I  can  do  what  I  can,"  said  Matilda  softly. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  113 

"  But  what's  the  use,  Pink  ?  All  you  can 
do  will  just  touch  one  old  woman,  perhaps,  a 
few  times;  and  then  Lilac  lane  will  not  be 
any  better  off  than  it  was.  And  anyhow, 
you  only  touch  one.  What's  the  use?" 

"  Why  —  the  use  of  that  one." 

"  Yes,  but  it  don't  really  make  any  differ 
ence  to  speak  of,  when  you  think  of  all  the 
people  that  you  cannot  help.  The  world 
won't  be  any  better  —  don't  you  see?  " 

"If  I  was  the  one  to  be  helped,  I  should 
think  it  made  a  great  deal  of  difference,  Nor 
ton." 

Norton  could  not  dispute  that  view  of  the 
case,  though  he  whistled  over  it. 

"  Pink,  will  you  come  and  play  croquet  to 
morrow  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  ?  I  will  see  if  I  can,"  said 
Matilda,  with  a  brightening  face. 

"  What's  to  hinder  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  anything.  If  aunt 
Candy  will  let  me." 

"  Does  she  hinder  you?" 
8 


114  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Sometimes"  —  Matilda  said  hesitating. 

«  What  for  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  That  puzzles  me,  Nor 
ton." 

"  How  does  she  hinder  you  ?  "  said  the  boy 
stopping  short  with  a  scowl  upon  his  brow. 

"  She  won't  let  me  go  out,  sometimes;  I 
don't  know  why.  Then  besides,  I  have  to 
spend  a  good  deal  of  time  reading  to  her, 
and  darning  stockings ;  -and  I  have  a  great 
many  other  things  to  do,  Norton." 

"  Well,  come  to-morrow,  Pink ;  or  I  shall 
come  after  you.  Hulloa!  see  that  squirrel" — 

And  Norton  set  off  on  such  a  race  and 
chase  after  the  squirrel,  that  Matilda  stopped 
to  look  on  in  sheer  admiration.  The  race 
was  not  fruitful  of  anything  however  but 
admiration;  and  the  rest  of  the  way  they 
hurried  home. 

It  was  a  trembling  question  with  Matilda, 
could  she  go  to  play  croquet  the  next  day  ? 
She  could  not  go  in  her  work  dress  ;  and  she 
feared  to  change  her  dress  and  so  draw  atten- 


OPPORTUNITIES.  115 

tion,  lest  her  aunt  should  put  a  stop  to  her 
going  out  at  all.  She  debated  the  matter  a 
good  deal,  and  finally  concluded  to  make  an 
open  affair  of  it  and  ask  leave. 

"  To  go  to  Mrs.  Laval's,"  —  said  Mrs. 
Candy,  meditating. 

"  Who  is  going  to  play  croquet,  besides 
you?"  inquired  Clarissa. 

"  I  do  not  think  anybody  is  to  be  there 
besides  me,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Well  "  —  said  Mrs.  Candy,  "  1  suppose 
you  had  better  go ;  with  my  compliments 
and  thanks  to  Mrs.  Laval.  Put  on  your 
white  dress,  Matilda,  and  I  will  tie  a  ribband 
round  your  waist." 

The  white  dress  and  the  black  ribband 
were  duly  put  on,  and  Matilda  set  out ;  very 
happy  indeed ;  only  sorry  that  Maria  was  left 
behind.  She  got  a  glad  welcome  from  Nor 
ton,  who  was  at  the  iron  gate  watching  foi 
her.  And  when  she  came  to  the  door  of 
the  house,  Matilda  was  fain  to  stand  still  and 
look,  everything  was  so  beautiful.  It  was 


Il6  OPPORTUNITIES. 

very  different  from  last  winter,  when  the 
snow  covered  all  the  world.  Now  the  grass 
was  soft  and  green,  cut  short  and  rolled 
smooth,  and  the  sunlight  made  it  seem  almost 
golden.  The  rose  bushes  were  heavy  and 
sweet  with  great  cabbage  roses  and  delicate 
white  roses,  and  gay  yellow  roses  made  an 
elegant  variety.  Overhead  the  golden  clusters 
of  a  laburnum  tree  dropped  as  if  to  meet 
them.  Then  there  were  pinks  and  violets 
and  daisies ;  and  locust  trees  a  little  way  off, 
standing  between  the  house  and  the  sun, 
made  the  air  sweet  with  their  blossoms. 
Every  breath  was  charged  with  some  delicious 
perfume  or  other.  The  house  stood  hospit 
ably  and  gayly  open  in  summer  dress;  the 
farm  country  lay  rich  in  the  sun  towards 
the  west ;  and  the  mountains  beyond,  having 
lost  all  their  white  coating  of  snow  long  ago, 
were  clothed  in  a  kind  of  drapery  of  purple 
mist. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  said  Norton. 

"  It's  so  beautiful !  "  said  Matilda. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  117 

"  O  is  that  all !  Come  in.  Mamma  wants 
to  see  you." 

In  the  house,  over  floors  marble  and 
matted,  through  rooms  green  with  the  light 
that  came  through  the  blinds,  cool  in  shadow, 
but  from  which  the  world  without  looked  like 
a  glittering  fairyland,  so  they  went,  passing 
from  one  to  another,  till  they  found  the  mis 
tress  of  the  house.  She  was  not  in  the 
house,  but  in  a  deep  wicker  chair  on  the 
shady  side  of  the  verandah. 

"  Here  she  is !  "  the  lady  exclaimed  as  she 
saw  them,  throwing  aside  the  book  which 
had  been  in  her  hands,  and  drawing  Matilda 
into  her  arms  instead.  "  My  dear  child  —  so 
you've  come.  Norton  and  I  are  very  glad. 
How  do  you  do  ?  You  are  thin." 

«  Am  I  ?  "  said  Matilda. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  ?  play  croquet  ?  it's  too  warm 
yet.  Sit  down  here  and  have  some  strawber 
ries  first.  Norton,  you  get  her  some  straw 
berries." 


1 1 8  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

She  put  Matilda  affectionately  into  a  chair 
and  took  off  her  hat. 

"And  how  do  you  like  croquet?" 

"  O  very  much !  But  I  do  not  know  how 
to  play  yet,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Norton  will  teach  you." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  Matilda  said  with  a  happy 
look. 

"  I  think  Norton  is  making  a  little  sister 
of  you,"  Mrs.  Laval  said  tenderly,  drawing 
her  hand  down  Matilda's  cheek.  "  Do  you 
know,  Norton  once  had  a  little  sister  as  old 
as  you  ?  " 

The  lady's  tone  had  changed.  Matilda 
only  looked,  she  dared  not  speak  in  answer 
to  this. 

"  I  think  he  wants  to  make  a  sister  of  you," 
Mrs.  Laval  repeated  wistfully,  her  hand  drop 
ping  to  Matilda's  hand  and  taking  hold  of 
that.  "  How  would  you  like  to  be  Norton's 
sister?" 

"  O  I  should  like  it  very  much !  "  Matilda 
answered,  half  eagerly,  but  her  answer 


OPPORTUNITIES.  119 

touched  with  a  soberness  that  belonged  to 
the  little  sister  and  daughter  that  Norton  and 
Mrs.  Laval  had  lost.  There  was  a  delicate, 
sensitive  manner  about  both  her  face  and 
her  voice  as  she  spoke,  perfectly  intelligible 
to  the  eyes  that  were  watching  her;  and  the 
response  to  it  was  startling.  For  Mrs.  Laval 
suddenly  took  the  child  in  her  arms,  upon 
her  lap,  though  Matilda  never  knew  how 
she  got  there,  and  clasping  her  close,  half 
smothered  her  with  kisses ;  some  of  which 
Matilda  felt  were  wetted  with  tears.  It  was 
a  passion  of  remembered  tenderness  and 
unsatisfied  longing.  Matilda  was  astonished 
and  passive  under  caresses  she  could  not 
return,  so  close  was  the  clasp  of  the  arms 
that  held  her,  so  earnest  the  pressure  of  the 
lips  that  seemed  to  devour  every  part  of  her 
face  by  turns.  In  the  midst  of  this  Norton 
came  with  the  strawberries;  and  he  too  stood 
still  and  offered  no  interruption.  But  when 
a  pause  in  Mrs.  Laval's  ecstasy  gave  him  a 
chance,  he  said  low, 


120  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Mrs.  Beechey,  mamma,  and  Miss  Beecheys, 
are  there." 

Mrs.  Laval  was  quiet  a  moment,  hiding 
her  face  in  Matilda's  neck ;  then  she  put  her 
gently  down,  rose  up,  and  met  some  ladies 
who  were  coming  round  the  corner  of  the 
verandah,  with  a  tone  and  bearing  so  coo] 
and  careless  and  light,  that  Matilda  asked 
her  ears  if  it  was  possible.  The  guests  were 
carried  off  into  the  house ;  Matilda  and  Nor 
ton  were  left  alone. 

It  was  Matilda's  turn  then.  She  set  down 
the  plate  of  strawberries  Norton  had  given 
her  and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

Norton  bore  this  for  a  minute,  and  no 
more.  Then  one  of  his  hands  came  upon 
one  of  Matilda's,  and  the  other  upon  the 
other,  very  gently  but  decidedly  suggesting 
that  they  should  come  down. 

"  Pink ! "  said  he,  —  "  this  may  do  for  mam 
ma  and  you,  but  it  is  very  poor  entertainment 
for  me.  Come !  leave  that,  and  eat  your 
strawberries,  and  let  us  go  on  the  lawn.  The 
sun  will  do  now." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  121 

Matilda  felt  that  this  was  reasonable,  and 
she  put  by  her  own  gratification.  Neverthe 
less  her  eyes  and  eyelashes  were  alt  glittering 
when  she  lifted  them  up. 

"  What  has  mamma  done  to  you  ? "  said 
Norton  wondering.  "  Here,  Pink,  do  you 
like  strawberries?" 

"  If  you  please,  Norton,"  said  Matilda, 
"  couldn't  I  have  them  another  time  ?  I  don't 
want  them  now." 

"  Then  they  may  wait  till  we  have  done 
playing,"  said  Norton ;  "  and  then  I'll  have 
some  too.  Now  come." 

The  great  trees  cast  a  flickering  shadow  on 
the  grass  before  the  house.  Norton  planted 
his  hoops  and  distributed  colours,  and 
presently  Matilda's  sober  thoughts  were 
driven  as  many  ways  as  the  balls ;  and  they 
went  very  widely  indeed. 

"  You  must  take  aim,  Matilda  ? "  Norton 
cried. 

"At  what?" 

"  Why  you  must  learn  at  what ;  that's  the 


122  OPPORTUNITIES. 

game.  You  must  fight.  Just  as  I  fight  you. 
You  ought  to  touch  my  ball  now,  if  you  can. 
I  don't  believe  you  can.  You  might  try." 

Matilda  tried,  and  hit  it.  The  game  went 
on  prosperously.  The  sun  got  lower,  and  the 
sunbeams  came  more  scattering,  and  the 
breeze  just  stirred  over  the  lawn ;  not  enough 
to  bend  the  little  short  blades  of  grass.  Mrs. 
Laval's  visiters  went  away,  and  she  came  out 
on  the  verandah  to  look  at  the  children  ;  they 
were  too  much  engaged  to  look  at  her.  At 
last  the  hard  fought  battle  came  to  an  end. 
Norton  brought  out  another  plate  of  straw 
berries  for  himself  along  with  Matilda's,  and 
the  two  sat  down  on  the  bank  under  the 
locust  trees  to  eat  them.  The  sun  was  near 
going  down  beyond  the  mountains  by  this 
time,  and  his  setting  rays  changed  the  purple 
mist  into  a  bath  of  golden  haze. 

"  How  nice  and  cold  these  are,"  said  Ma 
tilda. 

"  They  have  been  in  the  ice.  That  makes 
things  cold,"  observed  Norton. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  123 

"  And  being  warm  oneself  makes  them 
seem  colder,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Why,  are  you  warm,  Pink  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed.  I  have  had  to  fight  you  so 
hard,  you  know." 

"  You  did  very  well,"  said  Norton  in  a 
satisfied  tone. 

"  Norton,  how  pretty  it  all  is  to-night." 

Norton  eat  strawberries. 

"  Very  different  from  Lilac  lane,"  said 
Matilda  looking  at  the  china  plate  in  her  hand, 
on  which  the  painting  was  very  fine  and 
delicate. 

"  Rather  different,"  said  Norton. 

"  Norton,  —  I  was  thinking  of  what  you  said 
yesterday ;  how  odd  it  is  that  some  people 
should  be  rich  and  others  poor." 

"  I  am  glad  I  am  one  of  the  first  sort,"  said 
Norton,  disposing  of  a  very  large  strawberry. 

"  But  isn't  it  strange  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  said,  Pink." 

"  It  don't  seem  right,"  said  Matilda  thought 
fully 


124  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Yes,  it  does." 

"  It  doesn't  to  me." 

"  How  can  you  help  it  ?  " 

"  Why  7  cannot  help  it,  Norton ;  but  if 
everybody  that  is  rich  chose,  they  could  help 
it." 

"How?" 

"  Don't  you  think  they  ought  ?  " 

"  Well  how,  Pink  ?  If  people  were  in 
dustrious  and  behaved  right,  they  wouldn't 
be  poor,  you  see." 

"  O  but,  Norton,  they  would  sometimes. 
There  is  Mrs.  Eldridge,  and  there  are  the  poor 
women  at  Mrs.  Rogers' ;  and  a  great  many 
more  like  them." 

"  Well  if  somebody  hadn't  behaved  wrong," 
said  Norton,  "  they  wouldn't  be  so  hard  up." 

"  O  but  that  does  not  help  them." 

«  Not  much." 

"  And  they  ought  to  be  helped,"  said  Ma 
tilda  slowly,  examining  the  painted  flowers 
on  the  china  in  her  hand,  and  remembering 
Mrs.  Eldridge's  cracked  delf  tea-cup. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  125 

"  That  plate  would  buy  up  the  whole  con 
cern  where  we  were  yesterday,  wouldn't  it?  " 

Matilda  looked  up  suddenly,  at  Norton's 
thus  touching  her  thought ;  but  she  did  not 
like  to  pursue  it.  Norton  however  had  no 
scruples. 

"  Yes ;  and  these  strawberries,  I  suppose, 
would  feed  her  for  a  week  —  the  old  woman, 
I  mean.  And  one  of  our  drawing  room  chairs 
would  furnish  her  house,  pretty  near.  Yes,  I 
guess  it  would.  And  I  really  think  one  week 
of  the  coal  we  burned  a  few  months  ago 
would  keep  her,  and  Mrs.  Rogers  too,  warm 
all  winter.  And  I  am  certain  one  of  mam 
ma's  dresses  would  clothe  her  for  a  year. 
Seems  queer,  don't  it." 

"  And  she  is  cold  and  hungry  and  uncom 
fortable,"  said  Matilda.  The  two  looked  at 
each  other. 

"  But  then,  you  know,  if  mamma  gave  one 
of  her  dresses  to  clothe  this  old  woman,  sh'e 
would  have  to  give  another  to  clothe  some 
other  old  woman  ;  and  the  end  would  be,  she  _ 


126  OPPORTUNITIES. 

would  have  no  dresses  for  herself.  And  if 
she  tried  to  warm  all  the  cold  houses,  she 
wouldn't  have  firing  to  cook  her  own  dinner. 
You  see  it  has  to  be  so,  Pink ;  some  rich  and 
some  poor.  And  suppose  these  strawberries 
had  been  changed  into  some  poor  somebody's 
dinner,  I  couldn't  have  had  them  to  give  to 
you.  Do  you  see,  Pink  ?  " 

"  But  O,  Norton  !  "  —  Matilda  began,  and 
stopped.  "  These  strawberries  are  very  nice." 

"  But  you  would  rather  turn  them  into 
mutton  chops  and  give  them  away?"  said 
Norton.  "  I  dare  say  you  would !  Wouldn't 
you  ?  " 

"  Norton,"  said  Matilda  cautiously,  "  do 
you  think  anything  I  could  have  bought  with 
that  dollar  would  have  given  me  so  much 
pleasure  as  that  tea-kettle  yesterday?" 

"  It  was  a  good  investment,"  said  Norton. 
"  But  it  is  right  to  eat    strawberries,  Pink. 
Where  are  you  going  to  stop  ?  " 

"  I'll  take  Mrs.  Eldridge  some  strawberries," 
said  Matilda  smiling,  "  when  they  get  plenty." 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


127 


"  Well,  agreed,"  said  Norton.  "  Let  us 
take  her  some  other  things  too.  I've  got 
money.  Stop  —  let  me  put  these  plates  in 
the  house  and  fetch  a  piece  of  paper ;  —  then 
we'll  see  what  we'll  take  her." 

Matilda  sat  while  he  was  gone,  looking  at 
the  golden  mist  on  the  mountains  and  dream 
ing. 

"  Now,"  said  Norton,  throwing  himself  on 
the  turf  beside  her,  with  his  piece  of  paper,  and 
thrusting  his  hand  deep  down  in  his  pocket 
to  get  at  his  pencil,  "  now  let  us  see  what  we 
will  do." 

"  Norton,"  said  Matilda  joyously,  "  this  is 
better  than  croquet." 

Norton  looked  up  with  those  bright  eyes  of 
his,  but  his  reply  was  to  proceed  to  business. 

"  Now  for  it,  Pink.  What  shall  we  do  for 
the  old  lady  ?  What  does  she  want  1  Pooh ! 
she  wants  everything ;  but  what  to  begin 
with  ?  " 

"  Strawberries,  you  said." 

"Strawberries!     Not    at    all.     That's    the 


128  OPPORTUNITIES. 

last  thing.  I  mean  we'll  fix  her  up,  Pink. 
Now  what  does  she  want,  to  be  comfort 
able.  It  is  only  one  old  woman ;  but  we 
shall  feel  better  if  she  is  comfortable.  Or 
you  will." 

"  But  what  do  you  mean,  Norton  ?  how 
much  can  we  do  ?  " 

"Just  as  much  as  we've  a  mind  to.  I've 
got  money,  I  tell  you.  Come ;  begin.  What 
goes  down  first  ?  " 

"  Why  Norton,"  said  Matilda  in  an  ecstasy, 
"  it  is  like  a  fairy  story." 

«  What  ?  " 

"  This,  that  we  are  doing.  It  is  like  a  fairy 
story  exactly." 

"  How  is  it  like  fairy  stories  ?  "  said  Norton. 
"I don't  know." 

"  Did  you  never  read  fairy  stories  ?  " 

"  Never.     What  are  they  like  ?  " 

"  Why  some  of  them  are  just  like  this," 
said  Matilda.  "  People  are  rich,  and  can  do 
what  they  please;  and  they  set  out  to  get 
things  together  for  a  feast,  or  to  prepare  a 


OPPORTUNITIES.  129 

palace  for  some  princess ;  and  first  one  nice 
thing  is  got,  and  then  another,  and  then  some 
thing  else ;  until  by  and  by  you  feel  as  if  you 
had  been  at  the  feast,  or  seen  the  palace,  or 
had  done  the  shopping.  I  do." 

"  This  isn't  for  a  princess,"  said  Norton. 
,  "  No,  nor  a  palace,"  said  Matilda ;  "  but  it 
seems  just  as  good." 

"  Go  on,  Pink ;  let  us  quit  princesses  and 
get  to  the  real  business.  What  do  you  want 
to  get,  first  thing  ?  " 

"  First  thing,"  said  Matilda,  "  I  think  would 
be  to  get  somebody  to  clean  the  house. 
There  are  only  two  little  rooms.  It  wouldn't 
be  much.  Don't  you  think  so,  Norton  ?  " 

"  As  we  cannot  build  a  palace,  and  have  it 
new,  I  should  say  the  old  one  had  better  be 
cleaned." 

"  Sabrina  Rogers  would  do  it,  I  dare  say," 
Matilda  went  on  ;  "  and  maybe  that  would 
be  something  good  for  her." 

"  Teach  her  to  clean  her  own  ?  "  said  Nor 
ton. 


130  '  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Why  no,  Norton ;  her  own  is  clean.  I 
meant,  maybe  she  would  be  glad  of  the 
pay." 

"  There's  another  princess,  eh,  that  wants 
a  palace  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  If  we  could,  we 
would  new  build  Lilac  lane,  wouldn't  we  ? 
But  then,  I  should  want  to  make  over  the 
people  that  live  in  it." 

"  So  should  I ;  and  that  is  the  hardest. 
But  perhaps,  don't  you  think  the  people 
would  be  different,  if  they  had  things  differ 
ent?" 

"  I'm  certain  I  should  be  different,  if  1 
lived  where  they  do,"  said  Norton.  "  But  go 
on,  Pink ;  let  us  try  it  on  —  what's  her  name. 
We  have  only  cleaned  her  house  yet." 

"  The  first  thing,  then,  is  a  bedstead,  Nor 
ton." 

"  A  bedstead !     What  does  she  sleep  on  ?  " 

"  On  the  floor;  with  rags  and  straw,  and  I 
think  a  miserable  make-believe  of  a  bed.  No 
sheets,  no  blankets,  nor  anything.  It  is 
dreadful." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  131 

"  Rags  and  straw,"  said  Norton.  "  Then 
a  bedstead  wants  a  bed  on  it,  Pink  ?  and 
blankets  or  coverlets  or  something,  and  sheets, 
and  all  that." 

Matilda  watched  Norton's  pencil  as  it 
noted  the  articles. 

"  Then  she  wants  some  towels,  and  a  basin 
of  some  sort  to  wash  in." 

"  Hm !  "  said  Norton.     «  Herself,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  hope  so.  But  she  has  nothing  to 
make  herself  clean  with." 

"  Then  a  stand  and  basin  and  towels ; 
and  a  pitcher,  Pink,  I  suppose,  to  hold 
water." 

"  Yes,  a  pitcher  or  jug  or  something.  We 
want  to  get  the  cheapest  things  we  can.  And 
soap." 

"  Let's  have  plenty  of  that,"  said  Norton, 
putting  down  soap.  "  Now  then  —  what 
next  ?  " 

"  A  little  wooden  table,  Norton  ?  she  has 
nothing  but  a  chair  to  set  her  tea  on." 

"  A  table.     And  a  carpet  ?  " 


132  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  O  no,  Norton ;  that's  not  necessary.  It 
is  warm  weather  now.  She  does  not  want 
that.  But  she  does  want  a  pail  for  water.  I 
have  to  take  the  tea-kettle  to  the  pump." 

Norton  at  this  laughed,  and  rolled  over  on 
the  grass  in  his  amusement.  Having  thus 
refreshed  himself,  he  came  back  to  business. 

"  Has  she  got  anything  to  go  on  her  fire, 
except  a  tea-kettle  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  A  saucepan  would  be  a  very 
useful  thing,  and  not  cost  much.  I  bought 
one  the  other  day;  so  I  know." 

"  What's  a  saucepan  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  A 
pan  to  make  sauce  in  ?  " 

It  was  Matilda's  turn  to  laugh.  "  Poor  Mrs. 
Eldridge  don't  have  many  puddings,  I  guess> 
to  make  sauce  for,"  she  said. 

"  Well  Pink,  now  we  come,  don't  we,  to 
the  eating  line.  We  must  stock  her  up." 

''  Put  down  a  broom  first,  Norton." 

"  A  broom  !     Here  goes." 

"  Yes,  you  can't  think  how  much  I  have 
wanted  a  broom  there.  And  a  tea-pot.  O 


OPPOR  TUNITIES.  133 

yes,  and  a  little  milk  pitcher,  and  sugar  bowl. 
Can't  we  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  we  could,"  said  Norton. 
«  Tea-cups  ?» 

"  I  guess  not.  She's  got  two ;  and  three 
plates.  Now,  Norton  —  the  eatables.  What 
did  you  think  of?  " 

"  I  suppose  there  isn't  anything  in  the 
house,"  said  Norton. 

"  Nothing  at  all  —  except  what  we  took 
there." 

u  Then  she  wants  everything." 

"  But  —  You  see,  Norton,  she  can't  do  any 
thing  herself;  she  couldn't  use  some  things. 
There  would  be  no  use." 

"  No  use  in  what  ?  " 

"  Flour,  for  instance.  She  couldn't  make 
bread." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  flour,"  said 
Norton.  "  But  she  can  use  bread  when  she 
sees  it,  I  will  take  my  affidavit." 

"  O  yes,  bread,  Norton.  We  will  take  her 
some  bread ;  and  a  little  butter.  And  sugar. 


134  OPPOR  TUNITIES. 

And  tea.  She  has  got  some,  but  it  won't 
last  long." 

"  And  I  said  she  should  have  a  mutton 
chop." 

"  I  dare  say  she  would  like  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  a  bushel  of  potatoes  wouldn't 
be  the  best  thing  of  all." 

"  Potatoes  would  be  excellent,"  said  Ma 
tilda  delightedly.  "  I  suppose  she  would  be 
very  glad  of  anything  of  that  sort.  Let's 
take  her  some  cheese,  Norton." 

"  Cheese.  And  strawberries.  And  cake, 
Pink." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  should  be  taking  too  much 
at  once.  We  had  better  leave  the  cake  to 
another  time." 

"  There's  something  we  forgot,"  said  Nor 
ton.  "  Mr.  What's-his-name  will  not  split  up 
box  covers  for  your  fire  every  day ;  we  must 
send  in  a  load  of  firing.  Wood,  I  guess." 

"  O  how  good!"  said  Matilda.  "  You  see, 
Norton,  she  has  had  no  wood  to  make  a  fire 
even  to  boil  her  kettle." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  135 

"  And  no  kettle  to  boil,"  added  Norton. 

"  So  that  she  went  without  even  tea.  I 
don't  know  how  she  lived.  Did  you  see  how 
she  enjoyed  the  tea  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Pink,"  said  Norton,  "  do  you  expect  to 
go  there  to  make  her  fire  every  day?" 

"  No,  Norton,  I  cannot  every  day ;  I  can 
not  always  get  away  from  home.  But  I  was 
thinking — I  know  some  other  girls  that  I 
guess  would  help ;  and  if  there  were  several 
of  us,  you  know,  it  would  be  very  easy." 

"  Well,"  said  Norton,  "  we  have  fixed  up 
this  palace  and  princess  now.  What  do  you 
think  of  getting  the  princess  a  new  dress  or 
two  ?  " 

"  O  it  would  be  very  nice,  Norton.  She 
wants  it." 

"  Mamma  will  do  that.  Could  you  get  it, 
Pink  ?  would  you  know  how  ?  supposing 
your  purse  was  long  enough." 

"  O  yes,  Norton.     Of  course  I  could ! " 

"  Then  you  shall  do  it.  Who  will  see  to 
all  the  rest  ?  " 


136  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  To  buy  the  things,  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  To  buy  them,  and  to  choose  them,  and  to 

get  them  to  their  place,  and  all  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  and  I,  Norton.     Shan't  we  ?  " 
"  I  think  that  is  a  good  arrangement.     The 

next   question   is,  when?      When   shall   we 

send  the  things  there  ?  " 

"•  We  must  get  the  rooms  cleaned.     I  will 

see  about   that.     Then,   Norton,  the   sooner 

the  better ;  don't  you  think  so  ?  " 
"  How  is  it  in  the  fairy  stories  ?  " 
"  O,  it's  all  done  with  a  breath  there ;  that 

is  one  of  the  delightful  things  about  it.     You 

speak,  and  the  genie  comes ;  and  you  tell  him 

what  you  want,  and  he  goes  and  fetches  it ; 

there  is  no  waiting.     And  yet,  I  don't  know," 

Matilda  added ;  "  I  don't  wish  this  could  be 

done  in  a  breath  "  — 

"  What  ? "  said  a  voice  close  behind  her. 

The  two   looked  up,  laughing,  to  see   Mrs. 

Laval.     She  was  laughing  too. 
"  What  is  it,  that  is  not  to  be  done  in  a 

breath?" 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  137 

"Furnishing  a  palace,  mamma — (getting 
it  cleaned  first,)  and  setting  up  a  princess." 

Mrs.  Laval  wanted  to  hear  about  it,  and 
gradually  she  slipped  down  on  the  grass 
beside  Matilda  and  drew  an  arm  round  her, 
while  she  listened  to  Norton's  story.  Norton 
made  quite  a  story  of  it,  and  told  his  mother 
what  Matilda  had  been  doing  the  day  before 
in  Lilac  lane,  and  what  schemes  they  had 
presently  on  hand.  Mrs.  Laval  listened 
curiously. 

"  Dear,  is  it  quite  safe  for  you  to  go  to  such 
a  place  ?  "  she  asked  Matilda  then. 

"  O  yes,  ma'am." 

"  But  it  cannot  be  pleasant." 

"  O  yes,  ma'am ! "  Matilda  answered  more 
earnestly. 

"How  can  it  be?" 

"  I  thought  it  would  not  be  pleasant,  at 
first,"  said  Matilda.  "But  I  found  it 
was." 

"  What  made  it  pleasant,  dear  ?  " 

"  If   you  saw  the  poor   old  woman,  Mrs. 


138  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Laval,  and  how  much  she  wanted  comfort,  I 
think  you  would  understand  it." 

"  Would  you  come  and  see  me,  if  I  wanted 
comfort?  "  the  lady  inquired.  Matilda  smiled 
at  the  possibility.  Then  something  in  Mrs. 
Laval's  face  reminded  her  that  even  with  such 
a  beautiful  house  and  so  rich  abundance  of 
things  that  money  can  buy,  there  might  be  a 
sad  want  of  something  that  money  cannot 
buy ;  and  she  grew  grave  again. 

"  Would  you  ?  "  Mrs.  Laval  repeated. 

And  Matilda  said  yes.  And  Mrs.  Laval 
again  put  her  face  down  to  Matilda's  face  and 
pressed  her  lips  upon  hers,  again  and  again, 
as  if  she  drew  some  sweetness  from  them. 
Not  so  passionately  as  the  time  before;  yet 
with  quiet  earnestness.  Then  with  one  hand 
she  stroked  the  hair  from  Matilda's  forehead, 
and  drew  it  forward,  and  passed  her  fingers 
through  it ;  caressing  it  in  a  tender,  thoughtful 
way.  Norton  knelt  on  the  grass  beside  them 
and  looked  on,  watching  and  satisfied.  Ma 
tilda  was  happy  and  passive. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  139 

"  Have  you  got  money  enough,  love,  for  all 
you  want  to  do  ?  "  Mrs.  Laval  asked  at 
length. 

"  /  haven't  much,"  said  Matilda  ;  "  but 
Norton  is  going  to  help." 

"  Have  you  got  enough,  Norton  ?  " 

"  I  guess  so,  mamma." 

Mrs.  Laval  put  her  hand  in  her  pocket  and 
drew  out  a  little  morocco  pocket-book.  She 
put  it  in  Matilda's  hand. 

"  Norton  shall  not  do  it  all,"  she  said.  "I 
don't  know  exactly  how  much  is  in  this ;  you 
can  use  what  you  choose  on  this  fairy  palace 
you  and  Norton  are  building." 

"  O  ma'am ! "  Matilda  began,  flushing  and 
delighted.  Mrs.  Laval  stopped  her  mouth 
with  a  kiss. 

"  But  ma'am  —  won't  you  please  take  out 
what  you  wish  I  should  spend  for  Mrs.  El- 
d  ridge  "  — 

"  Spend  just  what  you  like." 

"  I  might  take  too  much,"  said  Matilda. 

"  It  is  all  your's.     Do  just  what  you  like 


140  OPPORTUNITIES. 

with  it.  Spend  what  you  like  in  Lilac  lane, 
and  the  rest  for  something  else." 

"  O  ma'am !  "  —  Matilda  began  again  in 
utter  bewildered  delight. 

"  No,  darling,  don't  say  anything  about 
it,"  Mrs.  Laval  answered,  finding  Matilda's 
pocket  and  slipping  the  pocket-book  in. 
"  You  shall  talk  to  me  about  it  another  time. 
I  wish  you  could  give  me  your  secret." 

"  What  secret,  ma'arn  ?  "  said  Matilda, 
who  for  the  very  delight  that  flushed  her 
could  hardly  speak. 

"  How  to  get  so  much  satisfaction  out  of 
a  little  money." 

Matilda  wished  she  could  give  Mrs.  Laval 
anything  that  would  do  her  a  pleasure ;  and 
she  began  to  think,  could  she  let  her  into  this 
secret?  It  seemed  a  simple  secret  enough  to 
Matilda;  but  she  had  a  certain  consciousness 
that  for  the  great  lady  it  might  be  more  dif 
ficult  to  understand  than  it  was  for  her. 
Was  it  possible  that  elegant  pocket-book  was 
in  her  pocket  ? 


OPPORTUNITIES.    '  141 

But  now  came  the  summons  to  tea,  and 
they  got  up  off  the  grass  and  went  in.  So 
beautiful  a  table  Matilda  had  never  seen ;  and 
more  thorough  petting  no  little  girl  ever  had. 
No  one  else  was  there  but  those  three,  so  she 
was  quite  at  home.  Such  a  pleasant  home 
it  was,  too.  The  windows  all  open,  of  the 
large,  airy,  pretty  dining  room ;  the  blue 
mountains  seen  through  the  windows  at  one 
side ;  from  the  others,  the  green  of  the  trees 
and  the  gay  colours  of  flowers;  the  evening 
air  drew  gently  through  the  room  ;  and 
flowers  and  fruit  and  all  sorts  of  delicacies 
and  all  sorts  of  elegances  on  the  table  made 
Matilda  feel  she  was  in  fairyland. 

"  When  are  you  coming  again  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Laval,  taking  her  in  her  arms  when  she  was 
about  going. 

"  Whenever  you  will  let  me,  ma'am." 

"  Could  you  learn  to  love  me  a  little  bit, 
some  day?  " 

Matilda  did  not  know  how  to  answer. 
She  looked  into  the  handsome  dark  eyes  that 


142  OPPORTUNITIES. 

were  watching  her,  and  with  the  thought  of 
the  secret  sympathy  between  the  lady  and 
herself,  her  own  watered. 

"  I  see  you  will,"  said  Mrs.  Laval  kissing 
her.  "  Now  kiss  me." 

She  sat  quite  still  while  Matilda  did  so ; 
then  returned  it  warmly,  and  bade  Norton 
take  care  of  her  home. 


CHAPTER    V. 

TV/TATILDA  found  her  aunt,  cousin  and 
sister  gathered  in  the  parlour. 

"  Well !  "  said  Maria.  "  I  suppose  you 
have  had  a  time." 

"  A  good  time  ?  "  Mrs.  Candy  asked. 
Matilda  replied  yes. 

"  You  staid  late,"  observed  Clarissa.  This 
did  not  seem  to  need  an  answer. 

"What  have  you  been  doing?"  Maria  asked. 

"  Playing." 

"  You  sigh  over  it,  as  if  there  were  some 
melancholy  associations  connected  with  the 
fact,"  said  Clarissa. 

So  there  were,  taken  with  the  contrast  at 
home.  Matilda  could  not  explain  that. 

"  Any  company  there  ?  "  inquired  Mrs. 
Candy. 


144  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  No,  ma'am." 

"  You  are  wonderfully  taciturn,"  said 
Clarissa.  "  Do  tell  us  what  you  have  been 
about,  and  whether  you  have  enjoyed  your 
self." 

"  I  enjoyed  myself,"  said  Matilda,  repress 
ing  another  sigh. 

"  Did  you  bring  any  message  for  me  ? " 
asked  her  aunt. 

"  No,  aunt  Candy." 

"  Did  you  deliver  mine  to  Mrs.  Laval  ? J> 

"  What,  ma'am  ?  " 

"  My  message.     Did  you  deliver  it  ?  " 

"  No,  aunt  Candy." 

"  Did  you  forget  it,  Matilda  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  forget  it." 

Both  mother  and  daughter  lifted  up  their 
heads  at  this. 

"  Why  did  you  not  give  the  message 
then  ?  " 

Matilda  was  in  sore  difficulty.  There  was 
nothing  she  could  think  of  to  say.  So  she 
said  nothing. 


OPPOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Speak,  child  !  "  said  her  aunt.  "  Why 
did  you  not  give  my  message  as  I  charged 
you?" 

"  I  did  not  like  to  do  it,  aunt  Candy. 

"  You  did  not  like  to  do  it!  Please  to  say 
why  you  did  not  like  to  do  it." 

It  was  so  impossible  to  answer,  that  Matilda 
took  refuge  in  silence  again. 

"  It  would  have  been  civil  in  Mrs.  Laval  to 
have  sent  her  message,  whether  or  no,"  said 
Clarissa. 

"  Go  upstairs,  Matilda,"  said  her  aunt  ; 
"  and  don't  come  down  again  to-night.  No, 
Maria,"  for  Maria  rose,  muttering  that  she 
would  go  too,  — "  no,  you  do  not  go  now. 
Sit  down  —  till  the  usual  time.  Go  to  bed, 
Matilda.  I  will  talk  to  you  to-morrow." 

It  was  no  punishment,  the  being  sent  off; 
though  her  aunt's  words  and  manner  were. 
In  all  her  little  life,  till  now,  Matilda  had 
never  known  any  but  gentle  and  tender  treat 
ment.  She  had  not  been  a  child  to  require 
other;  and  though  a  more  decided  government 
10 


146  OPPORTUNITIES. 

might  have  been  good,  perhaps,  the  soft  and 
easy  affection  in  the  midst  of  which  she  had 
grown  up  was  far  better  for  her  than  harsh 
ness,  which  indeed  she  never  deserved.  As 
she  went  up  the  stairs  to-night,  she  felt  like  a 
person  suddenly  removed  in  the  space  of  an 
hour  from  the  atmosphere  of  some  balmy^ 
tropical  clime,  to  the  sharp  rigours  of  the 
north  pole.  She  shivered,  mentally. 

But  the  effect  of  the  tropics  returned  when 
she  had  closed  the  door  of  her  room.  The 
treasures  of  comfort  and  pleasure  stored  up 
that  afternoon  were  not  lost;  and  being  a 
secret  treasure,  they  were  not  within  any 
body's  power.  Matilda  kneeled  down  and 
gave  thanks  for  it  all;  then  took  out  her 
pocket-book  and  admired  it ;  she  would  not 
count  the  money  this  evening,  the  outside 
was  quite  enough.  She  stowed  it  away  in 
a  safe  place,  and  slowly  undressed ;  her  heart 
so  full  of  pleasant  things  enjoyed  and  other 
pleasant  things  hoped  for,  that  she  soon 
utterly  forgot  Mrs.  Candy,  message  and  all. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  147 

Sweet  visions  of.  what  was  to  be  done  in 
Lilac  lane  rose  before  her  eyes ;  what  might 
not  be  done,  between  Norton  and  her,  now  ? 
and  with  these  came  in  other  visions;  of 
those  kisses  of  Mrs.  Laval,  which  had  been 
such  mother's  kisses.  Matilda  stood  still  to 
remember  and  feel  them  over  again.  Nobody 
had  ever  kissed  her  so,  but  her  mother.  And 
so,  in  a  little  warm  heart-glow  of  her  own 
which  enveloped  everything,  like  the  golden 
haze  on  the  mountains  that  evening,  Matilda 
undressed  leisurely,  and  read  her  Bible,  and 
prayed,  and  went  to  sleep.  And  her  waking 
mood  was  like  the  morning  light  upon  the 
mountains,  so  clear  and  quiet. 

Maria,  however,  was  in  complete  contrast. 
This  was  not  very  unusual.  She  was  crusty, 
and  ironical,  and  disposed  to  find  fault. 

"I  wonder  how  long  this  is  going  to  last?  " 
she  said,  in  the  interval  between  complaining 
and  fault-finding. 

"  What?  "  Matilda  asked. 

"  This    state    of    things.      Not    going  to 


148  OPPORTUNITIES. 

school,  nor  learning  anything;  cooking  and 
scrubbing  for  aunt  Candy ;  and  you  petted 
and  taken  upstairs  to  be  taught,  and  asked 
out  to  tea,  and  made  much  of.  Nobody 
remembers  that  I  am  alive." 

"  Dear  Maria,  I  have  been  asked  out  to  tea 
just  once." 

"  You'll  be  asked  again." 

"  And  I  am  sure  people  come  to  see  you. 
Frances  Barth  was  here  yesterday  ;  and 
Sarah  Haight  and  Esther  Trembleton  two 
days  ago ;  and  Esther  asked  you  to  tea  too." 

"  I  couldn't  go." 

"  But  people  remember  you  are  alive.  O, 
Maria,  they  remember  you  too.  Mr.  Rich 
mond  don't  forget  you ;  and  Miss  Benton 
asked  you  to  come  to  tea  with  her." 

"  It  is  all  very  well  talking,"  said  Maria. 
"  I  know  what  I  know ;  and  I  am  getting 
tired  of  it.  You  are  the  only  one  that  has 
any  really  good  times." 

It  soon  appeared  that  one  of  Matilda's 
good  times  was  not  to  be  to-day.  Mrs.  Can- 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 49 

dy  and  Clarissa  looked  on  her  coldly,  spoke 
to  her  dryly,  and  made  her  feel  that  she  was 
not  in  favour.  Matilda  could  bear  this  down 
stairs  pretty  well ;  but  when  she  found  her 
self  in  Mrs.  Candy's  room  for  her  morning 
hours  of  reading  and  darning,  it  became 
heavy.  Reading  was  not  the  first  thing  to 
day.  Mrs.  Candy  called  Matilda  to  stand 
before  her  while  she  proceeded  to  give  her  a 
species  of  correction  in  words. 

"  You  were  baptized  a  few  weeks  ago, 
Matilda." 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  And  by  so  being,  you  became  a  member 
of  the  church  ;  —  of  your  church." 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  What  do  you  think  are  the  duties  of  a 
member  of  the  church  ?  " 

A  comprehensive  question,  Matilda  thought. 
She  hesitated. 

"  I  ask  you,  what  do  you  think  are  the 
duties  of  a  member  of  the  church  ?  in  any 
branch  of  it." 


150  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  suppose  they  are  the  same  as  anybody 
else's  duties,"  Matilda  answered. 

"  The  same  as  anybody  else's  duties." 

"  Yes,  aunt  Candy." 

"  You  think  it  makes  no  change  in  one's 
duties  ?  " 

"  What  change  does  it  make,  aunt  Can 
dy?" 

Matilda  spoke  in  all  innocence;  but  Mrs. 
Candy  flushed  and  frowned.  It  did  not 
sweeten  her  mood,  that  she  could  not  readily 
find  an  answer  for  the  child. 

"  You  allow,  at  least,  that  it  is  one  of  your 
duties  to  obey  the  fifth  commandment?" 

"  Yes,  aunt  Candy.     I  try  to  do  it." 

"  Did  you  try  last  night  ?  " 

Matilda  was  silent. 

"  You  made  me  guilty  of  rudeness  by  not 
delivering  the  message  I  had  charged  you 
with  ;  and  you  confessed  it  was  not  through 
forgetfulness.  Will  you  tell  me  now  why  it 
was  ?  " 

It  had  been  through  a  certain  nice  sense  on 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  151 

Matilda's  part  that  the  message  was  uncalled 
for,  and  even  a  little  officious.  She  would 
have  been  mortified  to  be  obliged  to  repeat  it 
to  Mrs.  Laval.  There  had  never  been  the 
least  intercourse  between  the  ladies,  and  Mrs. 
Laval  had  sought  none.  If  Mrs.  Candy 
sought  it,  Matilda  was  unwilling  it  should 
be  through  her  means.  But  she  could  not 
explain  this  to  her  aunt. 

"  You  did  not  choose  it,"  that  lady  said 
again,  with  kindling  anger. 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  offend  you,  aunt  Can- 
dy." 

"  No,  because  you  thought  I  would  never 
hear  of  it.  I  have  a  great  mind,  as  ever  I 
had  to  eat,  to  whip  you,  Matilda.  You  are 
not  at  all  too  old  for  it,  and  I  believe  it  would 
do  you  a  great  deal  of  good.  You  haven't 
had  quite  enough  of  that  sort  of  thing." 

"Whether  Matilda  had  or  had  not  had 
enough  of  that  sort  of  thing,  it  seemed  to 
her  that  it  was  very  far  from  Mrs.  Candy's 
place  to  propose  or  even  hint  at  it.  The 


152  OPPORTUNITIES. 

indignity  of  the  proposal  flushed  the  child 
with  a  sense  of  injury  almost  too  strong  to 
be  borne.  Mrs.  Candy,  in  all  her  years  of 
life,  had  never  known  the  sort  of  keen  pain 
that  her  words  gave  now  to  a  sensitive 
nature,  up  to  that  time  held  in  the  most 
dainty  and  tender  consideration.  Matilda 
did  not  speak  nor  stir ;  but  she  grew  pale. 

"  The  next  time  you  shall  have  it,"  Mrs. 
Candy  went  on.  "  I  should  have  no  hesita 
tion  at  all,  Matilda,  about  whipping  you;  and 
my  hand  is  not  a  light  one.  I  advise  you  as 
your  friend  not  to  come  under  it.  Your 
present  punishment  shall  be,  that  I  shall 
refuse  you  permission  to  go  any  more  to  Mrs. 
Laval's." 

The  child  was  motionless  and  gave  no 
sign,  further  than  the  paleness  of  her  cheeks 
which  indeed  caught  Clarissa's  observant  eye 
and  made  her  uneasy.  But  she  did  not  trem 
ble  nor  weep.  Probably  the  rush  of  feeling 
made  such  a  storm  in  her  little  breast  that 
she  could  not  accurately  measure  the  value  of 


OPPORTUNITIES.  153 

this  new  announcement,  or  know  fairly  what 
it  meant.  Perhaps  too  it  was  like  some 
other  things  to  her  limited  experience,  too 
bad  to  be  believed;  and  Matilda  did  not 
really  receive  it  as  a  fact,  that  her  visits  to 
Mrs.  Laval  had  ceased.  She  realized  enough, 
however,  poor  child,  to  make  it  extremely 
difficult  to  bear  up  and  maintain  her  dignity  ; 
but  she  did  that.  Nothing  but  the  pale 
ness  told.  Matilda  was  quite  erect  and  steady 
before  her  aunt ;  and  when  she  was  at  last 
bidden  to  go  to  her  seat  and  begin  her  read 
ing,  her  graceful  little  head  took  a  set  upon 
her  shoulders  which  was  very  incensing  to 
Mrs.  Candy. 

"  I  advise  you  to  take  care ! "  she  said 
threateningly. 

But  Matilda  could  not  imagine  what  new 
cause  of  offence  she  had  given.  It  was  very 
hard  to  read  aloud !  She  made  two  or  three 
efforts  to  get  voice,  and  then  went  stiffly 
on. 

"  You  are  not  reading  well,"  her  aunt  broke 


154  OPPORTUNITIES. 

in.  "  You  are  not  thinking  of  what  you  are 
reading." 

Matilda  was  silent. 

"  Why  do  you  not  speak  ?  I  say  you  do 
not  read  well.  Why  don't  you  attend  to 
your  book  ?  " 

"  I  never  understand  this  book,"  said  Ma 
tilda. 

"  Of  course  not,  if  you  do  not  attend.  Go 
on ! " 

"  She  can't  read,  mamma,"  whispered 
Clarissa. 

"  She  shall  read,"  Mrs.  Candy  returned  in 
an  answering  whisper. 

And  recognizing  that  necessity,  Matilda 
put  a  force  on  herself  and  read  on ;  at  the 
imminent  peril  of  choking  every  now  and 
then,  as  one  thought  and  another  came  up 
to  grasp  her.  She  put  it  by  or  put  it  down, 
and  went  on ;  obliged  herself  to  go  on ; 
wouldn't  think  ;  till  the  weary  pages  were 
come  to  an  end  at  last,  and  the  hoarse  voice 
had  leave  to  be  still,  and  she  took  up  her 


OPPORTUNITIES.  155 

darning.  Thoughts  would  have  overcome 
her  self-control  then,  in  all  nature ;  but  that, 
happily  for  Matilda's  dignity  as  she  wished  to 
maintain  it,  Mrs.  Candy  was  pleased  to  inter 
rupt  the  darning  of  stockings  to  give  Ma 
tilda  a  lesson  in  patching  linen.  An  entirely 
new  thing  to  the  child,  requiring  her  best 
attention  and  care  ;  for  Mrs.  Candy  insisted 
upon  the  patch  being  straight  to  a  thread, 
and  even  as  a  double  web  would  have  been. 
Matilda  had  to  baste  and  take  out  again, 
baste  and  take  out  again ;  she  had  enough 
to  do  without  going  back  upon  her  own 
grievances  ;  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  make 
a  large  patch  of  linen  lie  straight  on  all  sides 
and  not  pucker  itself  •  or  the  cloth  some 
where.  Matilda  pulled  out  her  basting 
threads  the  third  time,  with  a  sigh. 

"  You  will  do  it,  when  you  come  to  taking 
pains  enough,"  said  Mrs.  Candy. 

Now  Matilda  knew  that  she  was  taking 
the  utmost  pains  possible.  She  said  nothing, 
but  her  hands  grew  more  unsteady. 


156  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Mamma,  may  I  help  her?"  said  Clarissa. 

"  No.  She  can  do  it  if  she  tries,"  said  Mrs. 
Candy. 

Matilda  queried  within  herself,  how  it 
would  do,  to  throw  up  the  work  and  declare 
open  rebellion ;  how  would  the  fight  go  ? 
She  was  conscious  that  to  provoke  a  fight 
would  be  wrong ;  but  passion  just  now  had 
got  the  upper  hand  of  wisdom  in  the  child. 
She  concluded  however  that  it  would  not  do ; 
Mrs.  Candy  could  hold  out  better  than  she 
could;  but  the  last  atom  of  good  will  was 
gone  out  of  her  obedience. 

"  Matilda  "  —  said  Mrs..  Candy. 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  You  have  been  an  hour  and  a  halt  trying 
to  fix  that  patch." 

"  Isn't  it  long  enough  for  one  day  ? " 
said  Matilda  wearily,  sitting  back  on  her 
heels. 

She  had  got  down  on  the  floor  the  better 
to  manage  the  work ;  a  large  garment  with  a 
large  patch  to  be  laid. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  157 

"  Too  long,  by  an  hour ;  but  not  long 
enough,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not  yet  done." 

"  I  am  too  tired  to  do  it." 

"  We  will  see  that." 

Matilda  sat  back  on  her  heels,  looking  at 
the  hopeless  piece  of  linen.  She  was  flushed 
and  tired  and  angry,  but  she  only  sat  there 
looking  at  the  linen. 

"  It  has  got  to  be  done,"  said  Mrs.  Candy. 

"  I  must  get  rested  first,"  said  Matilda. 

"  You  are  not  to  say  '  must '  to  me,"  said 
her  aunt.  "  My  dear,  I  shall  make  you  do 
whatever  I  order.  You  shall  do  exactly  what 
I  tell  you  in  everything.  Your  times  of  hav 
ing  your  own  way  are  ended.  You  will  do 
my  way  now.  And  you  will  put  on  that 
patch  neatly  before  you  eat." 

"  Maria  will  want  me." 

"  Maria  will  do  very  well  without." 

Matilda  looked  at  her  aunt  in  equal  sur 
prise  and  dismay.  Mrs.  Candy  had  not 
seemed  like  this  before.  Nothing  had  pre 
pared  her  for  it.  But  Mrs.  Candy  was  a 


158  OPPORTUNITIES. 

cold-natured  woman,  not  the  less  fiery  and 
proud  when  roused.  She  could  be  pleasant 
enough  on  the  surface  and  in  general  inter 
course  with  people  ;  she  could  have  petted 
Matilda  and  made  much  of  her,  and  was 
indeed  quite  inclined  that  way.  If  only  Mrs. 
Laval  had  not  taken  her  up,  and  if  Matilda 
had  not  been  so  independent.  The  two 
things  together  touched  her  on  the  wrong 
side.  She  was  nettled  that  the  wish  of  Mrs. 
Laval  was  to  see  only  Matilda,  of  the  whole 
family ;  and  upon  the  back  of  that,  she  was 
displeased  beyond  endurance  that  Matilda 
should  withstand  her  authority  and  differ 
from  her  opinion.  There  was  no  fine  and 
delicate  nature  in  her,  to  read  that  of  the 
child  ;  only  a  coarse  pride  that  was  bent  upon 
having  itself  regarded.  She  thought  herself 
disregarded.  She  was  determined  to  put 
that  down  with  a  high  hand. 

Seeing  or  feeling  dimly  somewhat  of  all 
this,  Matilda  sat  on  the  floor  in  a  kind  of 
despair,  looking  at  her  patch. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 


'59 


"  You  had  better  not  sit  so  but  go  about 
it,"  said  Mrs.  Candy. 

"  Yes.    I  am  tired,"  said  Matilda. 

"  You  will  not  go-  down  to  dinner,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy. 

Could  she  stand  it  ?  Matilda  thought. 
Could  she  bear  it,  and  not  cry?  She  was 
getting  so  tired  and  downhearted.  It  was 
quite  plain  there  would  be  no  going  out  this 
afternoon  to  buy  things  for  Lilac  lane.  That 
delightful  shopping  must  be  postponed.  That 
hope  was  put  further  in  the  distance.  She  sat 
moodily  still.  She  ceased  to  care  when  the 
patching  got  done. 

"  Losing  time,"  said  Mrs.  Candy  at  length, 
getting  up  and  putting  by  her  own  basket. 
"  The  bell  will  ring  in  a  few  minutes,  Ma 
tilda  ;  and  I  shall  leave  you  here  to  do  your 
work  at  your  leisure." 

The  child  looked  at  her  and  looked  down 
again,  with  what  slight  air  of  her  little  head 
it  is  impossible  to  describe,  though  it  un 
doubtedly  and  unmistakably  signified  her 


l6o  OPPORTUNITIES. 

disapproval.  It  was  Matilda's  habitual  gest 
ure,  but  resented  by  Mrs.  Candy.  She 
stepped  up  to  her  and  gave  the  side  of  her 
head  a  smart  stroke  with  the  palm  of  her  hand. 

"  You  are  not  to  answer  me  by  gestures, 
you  know  I  told  you,"  she  exclaimed.  And 
she  and  Clarissa  quitting  the  room,  the  door 
was  locked  on  the  outside. 

Matilda's  condition  at  first  was  one  of 
simple  bewilderment.  The  indignity,  the 
injury,  the  wrong,  were  so  unwonted  and  so 
unintelligible,  that  the  child  felt  as  if  she  were 
in  a  dream.  What  did  it  mean  ?  and  was  it 
real?  The  locked  door  was  a  hard  fact,  that 
constantly  asserted  itself;  perhaps  so  did 
Matilda's  want  of  dinner ;  the  linen  patches 
on  the  floor  were  another  tangible  fact.  And 
as  Matilda  came  to  realize  that  she  was  alone 
and  could  indulge  herself,  at  last  a  flood  of 
bitter  tears  came  to  wash,  they  could  not 
wash  away,  her  hurt  feeling  and  her  despair. 
Every  bond  was  broken,  to  Matilda's  think 
ing,  between  her  and  her  aunt ;  all  friendship 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 6 1 

was  gone  that  had  been  from  one  to  the  other ; 
and  she  was  in  the  power  of  one  who  would 
use  it.  That  was  the  hardest  to  realize ;  for 
if  Matilda  had  been  in  her  mother's  power 
once,  it  had  also  been  power  never  exercised. 
The  child  had  been  always  practically  her 
own  mistress.  Was  that  ended  ?  Was  Mrs. 
Candy  her  mistress  now  ?  her  freedom  gone  ? 
and  was  there  no  escape  ?  It  made  Matilda 
almost  wild  to  think  these  thoughts,  wild  and 
frightened  together.  And  with  all  that,  very 
angry.  Not  passionately,  which  was  not  her 
nature,  but  with  a  deep  sense  of  displeasure 
and  dislike.  The  patch  and  the  linen  to  be 
patched  lay  untouched  on  the  floor,  it  is  need 
less  to  say,  when  Mrs.  Candy  came  up  from 
dinner. 

Mrs.  Candy  came  up  alone.  She  surveyed 
the  state  of  things  in  silence.  Matilda  had 
been  crying,  she  saw.  She  left  her  time  to 
recover  from  that  and  take  up  her  work.  But 
Matilda  sat  despairing  and  careless,  looking 
at  it  and  not  thinking  of  it. 
11 


1 62  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  do  that,  do  you  ?  " 
she  said  at  last. 

"Yes,  ma'am  —  some  time,"  Matilda  an 
swered. 

"  Not  now  ?  " 

"  When  I  get  a  little  rested." 

"  You  want  something,"  said  Mrs.  Candy 
looking  at  her;  "and  I  -know  what  it  is. 
You  want  bringing  down.  You  never  were 
brought  down  in  your  life,  I  believe,  or  you 
would  not  dare  me  so  now !  " 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  dare  you,  aunt  Candy," 
said  Matilda  lifting  her  head. 

"  You  will  not  do  it  after  to-day,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy.  "  I  am  not  going  to  give  you 
what  I  threatened.  I  leave  that  for  another 
time.  I  don't  believe  we  shall  ever  corne  to 
that.  But  you  want  bringing  down,  all  the 
same ;  and  I  know  what  will  do  it  too.  Cold 
water  will  do  it." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  aunt  Candy  ?  " 

"  I  mean  cold  water.  I  have  heard  you 
say  you  don't  like  it,  but  it  would  be  very 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 63 

good  for  you,  in  two  ways.  I  am  going  to 
bathe  you  with  it  from  your  head  to  your 
feet.  Here  is  my  bath  tub,  and  I'll  have  it 
ready  in  a  minute.  Take  off  your  clothes, 
Matilda." 

It  was  with  nothing  less  than  horror  that 
Matilda  now  earnestly  besought  her  aunt  to 
think  better  of  this  determination.  She  did 
dislike  cold  water,  and  after  a  child's  luxuri 
ous  fashion  had  always  been  allowed  to  use 
warm  water.  But  worse  than  cold  water  was 
the  idea  of  her  aunt,  or  anybody,  presuming  to 
apply  it  in  the  capacity  of  bather.  Matilda 
refused  and  pleaded,  alternately  ;  pleaded 
very  humbly  at  last ;  but  in  vain. 

"  I  thought  I  knew  something  that  would 
bring  you  down,"  Mrs.  Candy  said  com 
posedly  and  pleased  ;  and  in  the  same  manner 
proceeded  to  strip  off  Matilda's  clothes,  put 
her  in  the  bath  tub,  and  make  thorough  ap 
plication  of  the  hated  element  as  she  had  said, 
from  head  to  foot;  scrubbing  and  dousing 
and  sponging ;  till  if  Matilda  had  been  in  the 


164  OPPORTUNITIES. 

sea  she  would  not  better  have  known  how 
cold  water  felt  all  over  her.  It  was  done  in 
five  minutes  too ;  and  then  after  being  well 
rubbed  down,  Matilda  was  directed  to  put  on 
her  clothes  again  and  finish  her  patching. 

"  I  fancy  you  will  feel  refreshed  for  it  now," 
said  her  aunt.  "  This  will  be  a  good  thing 
for  you.  I  used  to  give  it  to  Clarissa  always 
when  she  was  a  little  thing ;  and  now  I  will 
do  the  same  by  you,  my  love.  Every  day, 
you  shall  come  to  me  in  the  morning  when 
you  first  get  up." 

No  announcement  could  have  been  more 
dismayful ;  but  this  time  Matilda  said  noth 
ing.  She  bent  herself  to  her  patching,  the 
one  uppermost  desire  being  to  finish  it  and 
get  out  of  the  room.  The  cold  water  had 
refreshed  and  strengthened  her,  much  as  she 
disliked  and  hated  it;  at  the  same  time  the 
sense  of  hunger,  from  the  same  cause,  grew 
keener  than  ever.  Matilda  tried  her  very  best 
to  lay  the  patch  straight  and  get  it  basted  so. 
And  so  keen  the  endeavour  was,  so  earnest 


OP  FOR  T  UNITIES.  1 65 

the  attention,  that  though  laying  a  linen  patch 
by  the  thread  is  a  nice  piece  of  business,  she 
succeeded  at  last.  Mrs.  Candy  was  content 
with  the  work,  satisfied  with  its  being  only 
basted  for  that  time,  and  let  her  go. 

Matilda  slowly  made  her  way  down  to  the 
lower  regions,  where  Maria  was  still  at  work, 
and  asked  for  something  to  eat.  Maria 
looked  very  black,  and  demanded  explanations 
of  what  was  going  on  upstairs.  Matilda 
would  say  nothing,  until  she  had  found  some 
thing  to  satisfy  her  hunger  and  had  partially 
devoured  a  slice  of  bread  and  meat.  In  the 
midst  of  that  she  broke  off,  and  wrapping  her 
arms  round  her  sister  in  a  clinging  way, 
exclaimed  suddenly,  — 

"  O  Maria,  keep  me,  keep  me ! " 

"  Keep  you !  from  what  ?  What  do  you 
mean,  Tilly  ?  "  said  the  astonished  Maria. 

"  From  aunt  Candy.  Can't  you  keep 
me?" 

"  What  has  she  done  ? "  Maria  asked, 
growing  very  wrathful. 


1 66  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Can't  you  keep  me  from  her,  Maria  ?  " 

"  And  I  say,  what  has  she  done  to  you, 
Tilly  ?  Do  hold  up  and  answer  me.  How 
can  I  tell  anything  when  you  act  like  that? 
What  has  she  done?" 

"  She  says  she'll  give  me  a  cold  bath  every 
morning,"  Matilda  said,  seeming  to  shrink 
and  shiver  as  she  said  it. 

"  A  cold  bath  !  "  exclaimed  Maria. 

"  Yes.     O  can't  you  keep  me  from  it  ?  " 

"  What  has  put  the  notion  in  her  head  ?  " 

"  She  used  to  do  it  to  Clarissa,  she  says ; 
but  I  think  she  wants  to  do  it  to  me  because 
I  don't  like  it.  O  I  don't  like  it,  Maria !  "  — 

"  She's  too  mean  for  anything,"  said  Maria. 
"  I  never  saw  anything  like  her.  But  maybe 
it  won't  be  so  bad  as  you  think,  Tilly.  She 
and  Clarissa  both  take  a  cold  bath  every 
morning,  you  know  ;  and  they  like  it." 

"  I  don't  like  it ! "  said  Matilda  with  the 
extremest  accent  of  repugnance. 

"  Maybe  it  won't  seem  so  bad  when  you've 
tried." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  167 

"  I  have  tried,"  said  Matilda  bursting  into 
tears ;  "  she  gave  me  one  to-day  ;  and  I  don't 
like  it;  and  J  can't  bear  to  have  her  bathe 
me!" 

Matilda's  tears  came  now  in  a  shower, 
with  sobs  of  the  most  heartfelt  trouble.  Maria 
looked  black  as  a  thunder  cloud. 

"  O  Maria,  can't  you  keep  me  from  her  ?  " 

"  Not  without  killing  her,"  said  Maria.  "  I 
feel  as  if  I  would  almost  like  to  do  that  some 
times." 

"  O  Maria,  you  mustn't  speak  so ! "  said 
Matilda,  shocked  even  in  the  midst  of  her 
grief. 

"  Well  and  I  don't  mean  it,"»said  Maria ; 
"but  what  can  I  do,  Tilly?  If  she  takes  a 
notion  in  her  head,  she  will  follow  it,  you 
know ;  and  it  would  take  more  than  ever  I 
saw  to  turn  her.  And  you  see,  she  thinks 
cold  water  is  the  best  thing  in  the  world." 

"  Yes,  but  I  can't  bear  to  have  her  bathe 
me!"  Matilda  repeated.  "And  I  don't  like 
cold  water.  She  rubs,  and  she  scrubs,  and 


1 68  OPPORTUNITIES. 

she  throws  the  water  over  me,  and  the  soap 
suds,  and  she  don't  care  at  all  whether  I  like 
it  or  not.  I  wish  I  could  get  away !  I  wish 
I  could  get  away,  Maria !  O  I  wish  I  could 
get  away ! " 

"  So  do  I  wish  I  could,"  said  Maria,  gloom 
ily  eyeing  her  little  sister's  sobs.  "  We've  got 
to  stand  it,  Tilly,  for  the  present.  I  haven't 
anywhere  to  go  to,  and  you  haven't.  Come, 
don't  cry.  Eat  your  bread  and  meat.  I  dare 
say  you  will  get  used  to  cold  -water." 

"  I  shall  not  get  used  to  her"  said  Matilda. 

However,  a  part  of  Maria's  prediction  did 
come  true.  Cold  water  is  less  terrible,  the 
more  acquaintance  one  has  with  it  ;  and 
probably  Mrs.  Candy's  assertion  was  also 
true,  that  it  was  capital  for  Matilda.  And 
Matilda  would  not  have  much  minded  it  at 
last,  if  only  the  administration  could  have 
been  left  to  herself.  But  Mrs.  Candy  kept 
that  in  her  own  hands,  knowing  probably  that 
it  was  one  effectual  means  of  keeping  Matilda 
herself  in  her  hands  Every  morning,  when 


OPPORTUNITIES.  169 

Mrs.  Candy's  bell  rang,  Matilda  was  obliged 
to  run  downstairs  and  submit  herself  to  her 
aunt's  manipulations,  which  were  pretty 
much  as  she  had  described  them ;  and  under 
those  energetic  unscrupulous  hands,  which 
dealt  with  her  as  they  listed  and  regarded 
her  wishes  in  no  sort  nor  respect,  Matilda 
was  quite  helpless.  And  she  was  subdued. 
Mrs.  Candy  had  attained  that  end.  She  no 
longer  thought  of  resisting  her  aunt  in  any 
way.  It  was  the  first  time  in  Matilda's  life 
that  she  had  been  obliged  to  obey  another. 
Between  her  mother  and  herself  the  question 
had  hardly  arisen,  except  upon  isolated  occa 
sions.  She  dared  not  let  the  question  ever 
arise  now  with  Mrs.  Candy.  She  read,  and 
darned,  and  patched,  and  grew  skilful  in 
those  latter  arts ;  she  never  objected  now. 
She  came  to  her  bath,  and  never  uttered  now 
the  vain  pleadings  which  at  first  even  her 
dignity  gave  way  to  make.  Mrs.  Candy  had 
quite  put  down  the  question  of  dignity.  Ma 
tilda  did  not  venture  to  disobey  her  any  more 


170  OPPORTUNITIES. 

in  anything.  She  went  no  more  to  walk 
without  asking  leave  ;  she  visited  no  more  at 
Mrs.  Laval's ;  Mrs.  Candy  even  took  Matilda 
in  her  triumph  to  her  own  church  in  the 
morning.  Matilda  suffered,  but  submitted 
without  a  word. 

How  much  the  child  suffered,  nobody  knew 
or  guessed.  She  kept  it  to  herself.  Mrs. 
Candy  did  not  even  suspect  that  there  was 
much  suffering  in  the  case,  beyond  a  little 
enforced  submission,  and  a  little  disappoint 
ment  now  and  then  about  going  to  see  some 
body.  Mrs.  Laval's  -house  was  forbidden, 
that  was  all ;  and  for  a  few  days  Matilda  did 
not  get  time,  or  leave,  to  go  out  to  walk. 

She  was  kept  very  busy.  And  she  was 
pleasant  about  her  work  with  Maria,  and 
gentle  and  well-behaved  when  at  her  work 
with  her  aunt.  Not  gay,  certainly,  as  she  had 
begun  to  be  sometimes  lately,  before  this 
time  ;  but  Maria  was  so  far  from  gayety  her 
self  that  she  did  not  miss  it  in  her  sister  ;  and 
Mrs.  Candy  saw  no  change  but  the  change 


OPPORTUNITIES.  171 

she  had  wished  for.  Nevertheless  they  did 
not  see  all.  There  were  hours,  when  Matilda 
could  shut  herself  up  in  her  room  and  be 
alone,  and  Maria  was  asleep  in  her  bed  at 
night;  when  the  little  head  bent  over  her 
Bible,  and  tears  fell  like  rain,  and  struggles 
that  nobody  dreamed  of  went  on  in  the 
child's  heart.  The  thing  she  lived  on,  was 
the  hope  of  getting  out  and  doing  that  be 
loved  shopping;  meeting  Norton  somehow, 
somewhere,  as  one  does  impossible  things  in 
a  dream,  and  arranging  with  him  to  go  to 
Lilac  lane  together.  The  little  pocket-book 
lay  all  safe  and  ready  waiting  for  the  time; 
and  when  Matilda  could  let  herself  think 
pleasant  thoughts,  she  went  into  rapturous 
fancies  of  the  wonderful  changes  to  be 
wrought  in  Mrs.  Eldridge's  house. 

She  saw  nothing  meanwhile  of  Lemuel 
Dow.  The  Sunday  following  her  afternoon 
at  Mrs.  Laval's  had  been  a  little  rainy  in  the 
latter  part  of  it.  Perhaps  the  little  Dow  boy, 
who  minded  rain  no  more  than  a  duck  ou 


172  OPPORTUNITIES. 

other  days,  might  be  afraid  of  a  wetting  on 
Sunday.  Other  people  often  are.  But  Ma 
tilda  meant  to  look  for  him  next  time,  and 
have  her  sugared  almonds  in  readiness. 

One  of  the  days  of  that  week,  it  happened 
that  Mrs.  Candy  took  Matilda  out  with  her 
for  a  walk.  It  was  not  at  all  agreeable  to 
Matilda ;  but  she  was  learning  to  submit  to 
what  was  not  agreeable,  and  she  made  no 
objection.  On  the  way  they  stopped  at  Mr. 
Sample's  store;  Mrs.  Candy  wanted  to  get 
some  smoked  salmon.  Mr.  Sample  served 
her  himself. 

"  How  did  you  like  the  tea  I  sent  you  ?  " 
he  asked  while  he  was  weighing  the  fish. 

"  Tea  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  You  sent  me 
no  tea." 

"  Why  yes  I  did  ;  last  week ;  it  was  Mon 
day  or  Tuesday,  I  think.  You  wanted  to  try 
another  kind,  I  understood." 

"  I  wanted  nothing  of  the  sort.  I  have 
plenty  of  tea  on  hand,  and  am  perfectly  suited 
with  it.  You  have  made  some  mistake." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  173 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  suited,"  Mr.  Sample 
rejoined ;  "  but  I  have  made  no  mistake. 
This  little  girl  came  for  it,  and  I  weighed  it 
out  myself  and  gave  it  to  her.  And  a  loaf 
of  bread  at  the  same  time." 

"  It  was  not  for  you,  aunt  Candy ;  it  was 
for  myself,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  paid  for  it, 
Mr.  Sample ;  it  was  not  charged." 

"  You  did  not  pay  me,  Miss  Matilda." 

"  No,  Mr.  Sample ;  I  paid  Patrick." 

"What  did  you  buy  tea  and  bread  for  ?" 
her  aunt  inquired. 

"  I  wanted  it "  —  Matilda  answered. 

«  What  for  ?  " 

"  I  wanted  it  to  give  away,"  Matilda  said 
in  a  low  voice,  being  obliged  to  speak. 

Mrs.  Candy  waited  till  they  were  out  ot 
the  shop,  and  then  desired  to  know  particu 
lars.  For  whom  Matilda  wanted  it;  where 
she  took  it ;  when  she  went ;  who  went  with 
her. 

"  Is  it  a  clean  place  ?  "  was  her  inquiry  at 
last.  Matilda  was  obliged  to  confess  it  was 
not. 


174  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Don't  go  there  again  without  my  knowl 
edge,  Matilda.  Do  you  hear?" 

"  I  hear.  But  aunt  Candy,"  said  Matilda 
in  great  dismay,  "  it  doesn't  hurt  me." 

"  No.  I  mean  it  shall  not.  Have  you 
always  gone  wandering  just  where  you 
liked  ?  " 

"  Yes,  always.  Shadywalk  is  a  perfectly 
safe  place." 

"  For  common  children  perhaps.  Not  for 
you.  Do  not  go  near  Lilac  lane  again.  It 
is  a  mercy  you  have  escaped  safe  as  it  is." 

Escaped  from  what,  Matilda  wondered? 
Even  a  little  soil  to  her  clothes  might  be 
washed  off;  and  she  did  not  think  she  had 
got  so  much  harm  as  that.  If  she  could 
only  meet  Norton,  now,  before  reaching 
home !  there  would  never  be  another  chance. 
Matilda  longed  to  see  him,  with  an  intensity 
which  seemed  almost  as  if  it  must  bring  him 
before  her;  but  it  did  not.  In  vain  she 
watched  every  corner  and  every  group  of 
boys  or  cluster  of  people  they  passed ;  Nor- 


OPPORTUNITIES.  175 

ton's  trim  figure  was  not  to  be  seen  ;  and  the 
house  door  shut  upon  Matilda  in  her  despair. 
She  went  up  to  her  room,  and  kneeling  down 
laid  her  head  on  the  table. 

"  It's  almost  tea-time,"  said  Maria.  "  What 
is  the  matter  now  ?  " 

But  Matilda  was  not  crying;  she  was  in 
despair. 

"  Come ! "  said  Maria.  "  Come,  what  ails 
you  ?  Tired  ?  —  It  is  time  to  get  tea,  Matilda, 
and  I  want  your  help.  What  is  the  matter 
now  ?  " 

Matilda  lifted  a  perfectly  forlorn  face  to  her 
sister. 

"  I  can't  go  anywhere ! "  she  said.  "  I  am 
in  prison.  I  can't  go  to  Lilac  lane  any  more. 
I  cannot  do  anything  any  more.  And  they 
want  me  so ! "  — 

Down  went  Matilda's  head.  Maria  stood, 
perhaps  a  little  conscience  struck. 

"  Who  wants  you  so  much  ?  " 

"  The  poor  people  there.  Mrs.  Eldridge 
and  Mrs.  Rogers.  They  want  me  so  much." 


176  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"What  for,  Tilly?"  said  Maria,  a  little 
more  gently  than  her  wont. 

"  O  for  a  great  many  things,"  said  Matilda, 
brushing  away  a  tear  or  two ;  "  and  now  I 
can  go  no  more  —  I  cannot  do  anything  —  O 
dear ! " 

The  little  girl  broke  down. 

"  She's  the  most  hateful,  spiteful,  masterful 
woman,  that  ever  was ! "  Maria  exclaimed  ; 
"  too  mean  to  live,  and  too  cunning  to  breathe. 
She's  an  old  witch  !  " 

«  O  don't,  Maria  !  " 

"  I  will,"  said  Maria.  "  I  will  talk.  It  is 
the  only  comfort  I  have.  What  is  she  up  to 
now  ?  " 

"  Just  that,"  said  Matilda.  "  She  found  I 
had  been  to  Lilac  lane,  and  she  said  I  must 
not  go  again  without  her  knowing ;  and  she 
will  never  let  me  go.  I  needn't  ask  her.  She 
doesn't  like  me  to  go  there.  And  I  wanted 
to  do  so  much!  If  she  could  only  have 
waited  —  only  have  waited  "  — 

"  What  made  you  let  her  know  you  had 
been  there  ?  " 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  177 

"  She  found  out.  I  couldn't  help  it.  Now 
she  will  not  let  me  go  ever  again.  Never, 
never ! " 

"  What  did  you  want  to  do  in  Lilac  lane, 
Tilly?" 

"  O,  things.  I  wanted  to  do  a  great  deal. 
Things. —  They'll  never  be  done!"  cried 
Matilda  in  bitter  distress.  "  I  cannot  do 
them  now.  I  cannot  do  anything." 

"  She  is  as  mean  as  she  can  live  !  "  said 
Maria  again.  "  But  Tilly,  T  don't  believe 
Lilac  lane  is  a  good  place  for  you,  neither. 
What  did  you  want  to  do  there?  what 
could  you  do  ?  " 

"  Things  "  —  said  Matilda,  indefinitely. 

"  You  are  not  old  enough  to  go  poking 
about  Lilac  lane  by  yourself." 

"  I  can't  go  any  way,"  said  Matilda. 

She  cried  a  long  while  to  wash  down  this 
disappointment;  and  the  effects  of  it  did  not 
go  off  in  the  tears.  The  child  became  very 
silent  and  sober.  Her  duties  she  did,  as  she 
had  done  them,  about  the  house  and  in  Mrs. 
12 


178  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Candy's  room ;  but  the  bright  face  and  the 
glad  ways  were  gone.  In  the  secret  of  her 
private  hours  Matilda  had  struggles  to  go 
through  that  left  her  with  the  marks  of  care 
upon  her  all  the  rest  of  the  time. 

The  next  Sunday  she  was  made  to  go  to 
church  with  her  aunt.  She  went  to  her  own 
Sunday  school  in  the  afternoon ;  but  she  was 
not  allowed  to  get  off  early  enough  for  the 
reading  and  talk  with  Mary  and  Ailie.  Lem 
Dow  however  was  on  hand ;  that  was  one 
single  drop  of  comfort.  He  looked  for  his 
sugared  almonds,  and  they  were  on  hand  too  ; 
and  besides  that,  Matilda  was  able  to  see  that 
he  was  quite  pleased  with  the  place  and  the 
singing  and  the  doings  in  his  class,  and  mak 
ing  friends  with  the  boys. 

"  Will  you  come  next  Sunday  ?  "  Matilda 
asked  him  as  they  were  going  out.  He 
nodded. 

"  Won't  Jemima  come  too,  if  you  ask  her  ?  " 

"  I  won't  ask  her." 

"  No  ?  why  not  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  179 

"  I  don't  want  her  to  come." 

"  You  don't  want  her  to  come  ?  Why  it 
is  a  pleasant  place,  isn't  it?  " 

"  It's  a  heap  more  jolly  if  she  ain't  here," 
said  Lem  knowingly. 

It  was  a  difficult  argument  to  answer,  with 
one  whose  general  benevolence  was  not  very 
full  grown  yet.  Matilda  went  home  thinking 
how  many  people  wanted  something  done 
for  them,  and  how  she  could  touch  nobody. 
She  was  not  allowed  to  go  to  church  in  the 
evening. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

r  I  "*HE  days  seemed  to  move  slowly.  They 
were  such  troublesome  days  to  Matilda. 
From  the  morning  bath,  which  was  simply 
her  detestation,  all  through  the  long  hours  of 
reading  and  patching  and  darning  in  Mrs. 
Candy's  room,  the  time  dragged ;  and  no 
sooner  was  dinner  over  than  she  began  to 
dread  the  next  morning  again.  It  was  not  so 
much  for  the  cold  water  as  for  the  relentless 
hand  that  applied  it.  Matilda  greatly  re 
sented  having  it  applied  to  her  at  all  by  any 
hand  but  her  own;  it  was  an  aggravation 
that  her  aunt  minded  that,  and  her,  no  more 
than  if  she  had  been  a  baby.  It  was  a  daily 
trial,  and  daily  trouble  ;  for  Matilda  was 
obliged  to  conquer  herself,  and  be  silent,  and 
submit,  where  her  whole  soul  rose  and  rebelled 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 8 1 

She  must  not  speak  her  anger,  and  pleadings 
were  entirely  disregarded.  So  she  ran  down 
iu  the  morning  when  her  aunt's  bell  rang,  and 
was  passive  under  all  that  Mrs.  Candy  pleased 
to  inflict;  and  commanded  herself  when  she 
wanted  to  cry  for  vexation,  and  was  still 
when  words  of  entreaty  or  defiance  rose  to 
her  lips.  The  sharp  lesson  of  self-control 
Matilda  was  learning  now.  She  had  to  prac 
tise  it  again  when  she  took  her  hours  of 
needlework.  Mrs.  Candy  was  teaching  her 
now  to  knit,  and  now  to  mend  lace,  and  then 
to  make  buttonholes ;  and  she  required  per 
fection  ;  and  Matilda  was  forced  to  be  very 
patient,  and  careful  to  the  extreme  of  careful 
ness,  and  docile  when  her  work  was  pulled 
out,  and  persevering  when  she  was  quite  tired 
and  longed  to  go  down  and  help  Maria  in  the 
kitchen.  She  was  learning  useful  arts,  no 
doubt,  but  Matilda  did  not  care  for  them ;  all 
the  while  the  most  valuable  thing  she  was 
learning  was  the  lesson  of  power  over  herself. 
Well  if  that  were  all.  But  there  were  some 


1 8  2  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

things  also  down  in  the  bottom  of  Matilda's 
heart  which  it  was  not  good  to  learn  ;  and 
she  knew  it ;  but  she  did  not  know  very  well 
how  to  help  it. 

Several  weeks  had  gone  by  in  this  manner, 
and  now  June  was  about  over.  Matilda  had 
not  gone  to  Lilac  lane  again,  nor  seen  Norton, 
nor  made  any  of  her  purchases  for  Mrs. 
Eldridge.  She  had  almost  given  all  that  up. 
She  wondered  that  she  saw  nothing  of  Nor 
ton  ;  but  if  he  had  ever  come  to  the  house  she 
had  not  heard  of  it.  Matilda  was  not  allowed 
to  go  out  in  the  evening  now  any  more.  No 
more  Band  meetings  or  prayer  meetings  or 
church  service  in  the  evening  for  her.  And 
in  the  morning  of  Sunday  Mrs.  Candy  was 
very  apt  to  carry  her  off  to  her  own  church, 
which  Matilda  disliked  beyond  all  expression. 
But  she  went  as  quietly  as  if  she  had  liked 
it. 

Things  were  in  this  state,  when  one  evening 
Maria  came  up  to  bed  and  burst  out  as  soon 
as  she  had  got  into  the  room,  — 


OPPORTUNITIES.  183 

"  Think  of  it !  They  are  going  to  New 
York  to-morrow." 

Matilda  was  bewildered,  and  asked  who 
was  going  to  New  York. 

"  They.  Aunt  Erminia  and  Clarissa.  To 
be  gone  all  day!  Hurra!  We'll  have  just 
what  we  like  for  dinner,  and  I'll  let  the 
kitchen  fire  go  out." 

"  Are  they  going  down  to  New  York  to 
morrow?"  said  Matilda,  standing  and  look 
ing  at  her  sister. 

"  By  the  early  train.  .  Don't  you  hear  me 
tell  you  ?  " 

"  I  thought  it  was  too  good  news  to  be 
true,"  said  Matilda  drawing  a  long  breath. 

"  It  is,  almost;  but  they  are  going.  They 
are  going  to  do  shopping.  That's  what  it's 
for.  And  I  say,  Matilda,  won't  we  have  a 
great  dinner  to  get !  " 

"  They  will  want  dinner  after  'they  get 
home." 

"  No  they  won't.  They  will  take  dinner 
somehow  down  there.  Why  they  will  not  be 


184  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

home,  Tilly,  till  nine  o'clock.  They  can't. 
The  train  don't  get  up  till  a  quarter  past  eight, 
that  train  they  are  going  to  take ;  and  they 
will  have  to  be  an  hour  pretty  near  riding  up 
from  the  station.  Hurra  !  hurra  !  " 

"  Hush !  don't  make  so  much  noise.  They 
will  hear  you." 

"  No  they  won't.  They  have  come  up  to 
bed.  We  are  to  have  breakfast  at  six  o'clock. 
We  shall  have  all  the  longer  day." 

"  Then  I  hope  aunt  Candy  will  not  have 
time  to  give  me  my  bath." 

"  No,  she  won't ;  she  told  me  to  tell  you. 
You  are  to  be  ever  so  early,  and  help  me  to 
get  the  breakfast.  I  shall  not  know  what  to 
do  with  the  day,  though,  I  shall  want  to  do 
so  much.  That  is  the  worst  of  it." 

Matilda  thought  she  would  be  under  no 
such  difficulty,  if  only  her  way  were  not  so 
hedged  in.  The  things  she  would  have  liked 
to  do  were  forbidden  things.  She  might  not 
go  to  Lilac  lane ;  she  might  not  go  to  Mrs. 
Laval's.  She  half  expected  that  her  aunt 


OPPORTUNITIES.  185 

would  say  she  must  not  go  out  of  the  house 
at  all.  That  misfortune  however  did  not 
happen.  The  early  breakfast  and  bustle  and 
arrangements  for  getting  off  occupied  Mrs. 
Candy  so  completely  that  she  gave  no  com 
mands  whatever.  The  omnibus  fairly  drove 
away  with  her  and  left  Maria  and  Matilda 
unrestricted  by  any  new  restrictions. 

"  It  seems,"  said  Matilda  gravely,  as  they 
stood  by  the  gate,  "  it  seems  as  if  I  could  see 
the  sky  again.  I  haven't  seen  it  this  great 
while." 

"Seen  the  sky!"  said  Maria;  "what  has 
ailed  you?  You  have  gone  out  often 
enough." 

"  It  didn't  seem  as  if  I  could  see  the  sky," 
said  Matilda,  gazing  up  into  the  living  blue 
depth  above  her.  "  I  can  see  it  now." 

"  You  are  funny,"  said  Maria.  "  It  don't 
seem  to  me  as  if  I  had  seen  anything,  for 
weeka.  Dear  me  !  to-day  will  be  only  too 
short." 

"  It  is  half  past  six  now,"  said   Matilda. 


1 86  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Between  now  and  nine  o'clock  to-night  there 
are  —  let  me  see ;  half  past  twelve  will  be  six 
hours,  and  half  past  six  will  be  twelve  hours ; 
six,  seven,  eight,  nine,  —  nine  will  be  two 
hours  and  a  half  more  ;  that  will  be  fourteen 
and  a  half  hours." 

"  Fourteen,"  said  Maria,  "  That  half  we 
shall  be  expecting  them." 

"  Well,  we've  got  to  go  in  and  put  the 
house  in  order,  first  thing,"  said  Matilda. 
"  Let's  make  haste." 

"  Then  I'll  let  the  kitchen  fire  go  out,"  said 
Maria ;  "  and  we'll  dine  on  bread  and  butter 
and  cold  potatoes.  I  like  cold  potatoes; 
don't  you?" 

"  No,"  said  Matilda ;  "  but  I  don't  care 
what  we  have.  I'll  have  bread  and  butter  and 
cold  coffee,  Maria ;  let  us  save  the  coffee. 
That  will  do." 

With  these  arrangements  made,  the  day 
began.  The  two  girls  flew  round  in  a  kind 
of  glee  to  put  the  rooms  up  and  get  all  the 
work  done  out  of  the  way.  Work  was  a  kind 


OPPORTUNITIES.  187 

of  play  that  morning.  Then  they  agreed  to 
take  their  dinner  early  and  dress  themselves. 
Maria  was  going  out  after  that  to  see  some 
friends  and  have  some  fun,  she  said.  Matilda 
on  her  part  had  a  sort  of  faint  hope  that  to 
day,  when  it  would  be  so  opportune,  it  might 
happen  that  Norton  Laval  would  come  to  see 
what  had  become  of  her.  She  was  almost 
afraid  to  go  out  and  lose  the  chance; 
though  to  be  sure  it  was  only  the  ghost  of  a 
chance.  Yet  for  that  ghost  of  a  chance  she 
did  linger  and  wait  in  the  house  for  an  hour 
or  two  after  Maria  had  gone  out.  Then  it 
began  to  press  upon  her,  that  her  aunt  had 
ordered  her  to  get  some  strawberries  from  Mr. 
Sample's  for  tea ;  she  was  uneasy  till  it  was 
done ;  and  at  last  took  her  hat  and  her  basket 
and  resolved  to  run  round  into  Butternut 
street  and  get  that  off  her  mind. 

She  was  standing  in  Mr.  Sample's  shop, 
patiently  waiting  until  her  turn  should  come 
to  be  served,  when  a  hand  was  laid  upon  her 
shoulder. 


1 88  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Tilly  ?  You  are  grown 
a  stranger." 

"  O  Mr.  Richmond  !  "  was  Matilda's 
startled  response.  And  it  was  more  startled 
than  glad. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  you  look  as  if  I  had 
frightened  you,  —  almost,"  said  the  minister 
smiling.  Matilda  did  not  say  what  was  the 
matter. 

"  Have  you  been  quite  well  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  were  not  in  your  place  on  Sun- 
day." 

«  No,  sir." 

And  Matilda's  tone  of  voice  gave  an  un 
conscious  commentary  upon  her  very  few 
words. 

"  And  you  have  not  been  to  take  tea  with 
me  in  a  great  while." 

"  No,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  Suppose  you  corne  to-day." 

"  O  I  cannot,  sir." 

"  Why  not  ?     I  think  you  can." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 89 

"  I  don't  know  whether  my  aunt  would  let 
me."  • 

"  We  will  go  and  ask  her." 

"  O  no,  sir ;  she  is  not  at  home,  Mr.  Rich 
mond.  She  has  gone  to  New  York." 

"  For  how  long  ?  " 

"  Only  till  nine  o'clock  to-night." 

"  Then  there  can  be  no  possible  harm  in 
your  coming  to  take  tea  at  the  parsonage." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  she  would  let  me," 
said  Matilda,  with  an  evident  intimation  that 
^he  doubt  was  barrier  enough. 

"  You  think  she  would  not  like  it?  " 

"  I  think  —  perhaps  —  she  would  not. 
Thank  you,  Mr.  Richmond!" 

"  But  Tilly,  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  Have 
you  nothing  to  say  to  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  A  great  deal,"  said  the  child 
with  the  look  of  slow  meditation.  The 
minister  considered  her  for  a  moment. 

"  I  shall  take  the  decision  of  the  question 
upon  myself,  Tilly,  and  I  will  make  it  all 
right  with  your  aunt.  Come  to  the  parson- 


190  OPPORTUNITIES. 

age,  or  rather,  go  to  the  parsonage  ;  and  I  will 
join  you  there  presently.  I  hePve  half  an 
hour's  business  first  to  attend  to.  You  must 
carry  those  strawberries  home  ?  Very  well ; 
then  go  straight  to  the  parsonage  and  wait 
there  for  me." 

Arid  with  an  encouraging  nod  and  smile, 
Mr.  Richmond  walked  off.  Matilda  took  her 
basket  home ;  carried  the  key  of  the  house 
door  to  Maria  at  Mrs.  Trembleton's ;  and  set 
her  face  up  Butternut  street. 

She  was  very  glad ;  it  seemed  like  getting 
out  of  prison  ;  though  she  was  not  altogether 
satisfied  in  her  mind  that  Mr.  Richmond 
might  be  able  to  make  it  all  right  with  Mrs. 
Candy.  She  was  obliged  to  risk  that,  for 
Mr.  Richmond's  invitation  had  had  the  force 
of  an  injunction.  So  she  took  the  good  of 
the  moment,  and  turned  in  at  the  gate  of  the 
parsonage  lane  with  something  like  a  feeling 
of  exultation  and  triumph.  The  shadow  of 
the  elms  was  sweet  on  the  road  ;  the  smooth 
quiet  of  the  grounds,  railed  off'  from  worldly 


OPPORTUNITIES.  191 

business  and  care,  seemed  proper  only  to  the 
houses  of  peace  which  stood  upon  them. 
The  old  creamy  brown  church  on  one  side ; 
on  the  other  the  pretty  new  Sunday  school 
house  ;  in  front,  at  the  end  of  the  avenue  of 
elms,  the  brown  door  of  the  parsonage.  Ma 
tilda  felt  as  if  her  own  -  life  had  got  away 
from  out  of  peaceful  enclosures;  and  she 
walked  up  the  avenue  slowly ;  too  slowly  for 
such  a  young  life-traveller.  She  had  no  need 
to  knock  this  time,  but  just  opened  the  door 
and  went  straight  to  Mr.  Richmond's  study. 

That  was  peace  itself.  It  was  almost  too 
pleasant,  to  Matilda's  fancy.  A  cool  matting 
was  on  the  floor;  the  light  softened  by  green 
hanging  blinds ;  the  soft  gloom  of  books,  as 
usual,  all  about;  Mr.  Richmond's  table  and 
work  materials  and  empty  chair  telling  of  his 
habitual  occupation ;  and  on  his  table  a  jar 
of  beautiful  flowers,  which  some  parishioner's 
careful  hand  had  brought  for  his  pleasure. 
The  room  was  sweet  with  geranium  and  lily 
odours ;  and  so  still  and  pure-breathed,  that 


192  OPPORTUNITIES. 

the  flowers  in  their  depth  of  colour  and 
wealth  of  fragrance  seemed  to  speak  through 
the  stillness.  Matilda  did  not  ask  what  they 
said,  though  maybe  she  heard.  She  came  a 
little  way  into  the  room,  stood  still  and  looked 
about  her  a  while ;  and  then  the  child  flung 
herself  down  on  her  knees  beside  a  chair  and 
burst  into  a  passion  of  weeping. 

It  lasted  so  long  and  was  so  violent  that 
she  never  heard  Mr.  Richmond  come  in.  And 
he  on  his  part  was  astonished.  At  the  first 
sound  of  his  voice  Matilda  stopped  crying 
and  let  him  raise  her  from  the  floor ;  but  he 
did  not  put  her  into  a  chair.  Instead  of  that 
he  sat  down  himself  and  drew  her  to  his  side. 
Of  course  he  asked  what  the  matter  was. 
Also  of  course  Matilda  could  not  tell  him. 
Mr.  Richmond  found  that  out,  and  then  took 
another  road  to  his  object.  He  let  Matilda 
get  quite  quiet ;  gave  her  a  bunch  of  grapes 
to  eat,  while  he  seemed  to  busy  himself 
among  his  books  and  papers ;  at  last  put 
that  down  and  took  Matilda's  plate  from  her. 


OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  You  do  not  come  to  church  in  the  evening 
lately,  I  observe,  Tilly,"  he  remarked. 

"  No,  sir.  Aunt  Candy  does  not  like  me  to 
go." 

"  And  you  have  not  been  to  the  prayer 
meeting  either,  or  to  the  meetings  of  our 
Commission.  The  '  Band '  is  called  our 
*  Christian  Commission,'  now." 

"  No,  sir."     And  Matilda's  eyes  watered. 

"  For  the  same  reason  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Not  because  you  have  lost  pleasure  in 
such  meetings  ?  " 

"  O  no,  Mr.  Richmond !  Did  you  think  I 
had  ?  "  she  asked  timidly. 

"  I  could  not  know,  you  know,"  said  Mr. 
Richmond,  "  and  I  wanted  to  ask  you.  I 
am  very  glad  to  hear  it  is  no  bad  reason  that 
keeps  you  away." 

"  I  didn't  say  that,  Mr.  Richmond,"  Ma 
tilda  answered  slowly.  "  Could  it  be  a  good 
reason  ?  " 

"  Why  it  might,"  said  Mr.  Richmond  cheer- 
13 


1 94  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

fully.  "  You  might  be  not  well  enough ;  or 
you  might  have  more  important  duties  to  do 
at  home  ;  or  you  might  be  unwilling  to  come 
alone ;  and  all  those  might  be  good  reasons 
for  staying  away." 

"  It  was  no  such  reason,"  said  Matilda. 

There  was  silence. 

"  You  wanted  to  talk  to  me,  you  said," 
Mr.  Richmond  observed. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Richmond,  I  do ;  if  I  only  knew 
how." 

"Is  it  so  difficult?  It  never  used  to  be 
very  difficult,  Matilda." 

"  No,  sir ;  but  things  are  —  different." 

"  You  are  not  different,  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  "  —  said  Matilda  slowly ;  — 
"  I  am  afraid  so.  I  feel  very  different." 

"  In  what  way  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Richmond,,"  she  went  on,  still  slowly, 
and  as  if  she  were  meditating  her  words,  — 
"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  do  just  right." 

"  In  what  respect  ?  "  said  the  minister  very 
quietly.  Again  Matilda  paused. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 95 

"  Mr.  Richmond  —  is  it  always  wrong  to 
hate  people  ?  " 

"  What  things  should  make  it  right  for  us 
to  hate  people  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know"  —  said  Matilda  in  the  same 
considering  way  ;  —  "  when  there  isn't  the 
least  thing  you  can  love  them  for,  or  like 
them?" 

"  What  if  the  Lord  had  gone  by  that  rule 
in  dealing  with  us  ?  " 

"  O,  but  he  is  so  good." 

"  And  has  commanded  us  to  be  just  as 
good,  has  he  not  ?  " 

"  But  can  we,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  " 

"What  do  you  think,  Tilly,  the  Lord 
meant  when  he  gave  us  the  order?  " 

"  He  meant  we  should  try." 

"  Do  you  think  he  meant  that  we  should 
only  try  ?  do  you  think  he  did  not  mean  that 
we  should  be  as  he  said?  " 

"  And  love  hateful  people  ?  " 

«  What  do  you  think,  Tilly  ?  " 

"  O  Mr.  Richmond,  I  think  I'm  no't  good." 


196  OPPORTUNITIES. 

11  What  is  the  matter,  my  dear  child  ?  "  Mr. 
Richmond  said  tenderly,  as  Matilda  burst  into 
quiet  tears  again.  "  What  troubles  you  ?  " 

"  That,  Mr.  Richmond.  I'm  afraid  I  am 
not  good,  for  I  am  not  like  that ;  and  I  don't 
see  how  I  can  be." 

"  What  is  the  hindrance  ?  or  the  diffi 
culty?" 

"  Because,  Mr.  Richmond,  I  am  afraid  I 
hate  my  aunt  Candy." 

Mr.  Richmond  was  quite  silent,  and  Ma 
tilda  sobbed  awhile. 

"  Do  I  understand  you  aright  ?  "  he  said  at 
last.  "  Do  you  say  that  you  hate  your  aunt  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  I  do." 

"  Why  should  you  hate  her  ?  Is  she  not 
very  kind  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  call  her  kind,!'  said  Matilda. 

"  In  what  respect  is  she  not  kind  ?  " 

The  child  sobbed  again,  with  the  unspoken 
difficulty;  stifled  sobs. 

"  She  is  not  cruel  to  you  ? "  said  Mr. 
Richmond. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  1 97 

"  I  think  she  is  cruel,"  said  Matilda  ;  "  for 
she  does  not  in  the  least  care  about  doing 
things  that  I  do  not  like ;  she  does  not  care 
at  all  whether  I  like  them  or  not.  I  think 
she  likes  it." 

"What?" 

"Just  to  do  things  that  I  can't  bear,  Mr. 
Richmond ;  and  she  knows  I  can't  bear 
them." 

"  What  is  her  reason  for  doing  these 
things?" 

"  I  think  the  greatest  reason  is  because  she 
knows  I  can't  bear  them.  I  think  I  am 
growing  wicked." 

"  Is  it  because  you  displease  her  in  any 
way,  that  she  does  it  for  a  punishment  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  displease  her  in  any  way,"  said 
poor  Matilda. 

"  And  yet  she  likes  to  grieve  you  ?  " 

"  She  said  I  wanted  putting  down.  And 
now,  I  suppose  I  am  put  down.  I  am  just 
in  prison.  I  can't  do  anything.  I  can't  go  to 
Mrs.  Laval's  house  any  more.  I  must  not 


198  OPPORTUNITIES. 

go  to  Lilac  lane  any  more.  She  won't  let 
me.  And  oh,  Mr.  Richmond,  we  were  going 
to  do  such  nice  things !  "  - 

"  Who  were  going  to  do  such  nice  things  ?  " 

"  Norton  Laval  and  I." 

"  What  things  were  they  ?  " 

"  We  were  going  to  do  suck  nice  things ! 
Mrs.  Laval  gave  me  money  for  them,  and 
Norton,  he  has  money  always ;  and  we  were 
going  to  have  Mrs.  Eldridge's  house  cleaned, 
and  get  a  bedstead,  and  towels,  and  a  table, 
and  ever  so  many  things  for  her,  to  make  her 
comfortable ;  and  I  thought  it  would  be  so 
pleasant  to  get  the  things  and  take  them  to 
her.  And  aunt  Candy  says  I  am  not  to  go 
again." 

"Did  you  tell  your  aunt  what  you  were 
going  to  do?" 

"O  no,  sir;  she  thinks  I  have  no  business 
with  such  things ;  and  she  does  not  like  any 
body  to  go  into  very  poor  houses." 

"  Then  you  did  not  ask  her  leave  ?  " 

"  It  never  is  any  use  to  ask  her  anything. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  199 

She  won't  let  me  go  out  to  church  now, 
except  in  the  morning,  and  then  sometimes 
she  makes  me  go  with  her." 

Mr.  Richmond  was  silent  for  some  time. 
Matilda  grew  quiet,  and  they  both  were  still. 

"  And  the  worst  of  it  all  is,"  resumed 
Matilda,  at  last,  "that  it  makes  me  hate  her." 

"  I  do  not  like  to  hear  you  say  that." 

"  No,  Mr.  Richmond,"  —  said  Matilda  very 
sorrowfully. 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  right?  " 

«  No,  sir." 

"  Do  you  think  you  cannot  help  doing 
what  is  wrong." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  like  aunt  Candy." 

"  We  will  pass  that.  But  between  not 
liking  and  hating,  there  is  a  wide  distance. 
Are  you  obliged  to  hate  her  ?  " 

Matilda  did  not  answer. 

"  Do  you  think  anybody  can  be  a  child  of 
God  and  have  hatred  in  his  heart  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  help  it,  Mr.  Richmond  ? " 
said  Matilda  piteously. 


200  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  How  can  you  help  anything  ?  The  best 
way  is  to  be  so  full  of  love  to  Jesus  that 
you  love  everybody  for  his  sake." 

"  But  people  that  are  not  good  "  —  said 
Matilda. 

"  It  is  easy  to  love  people  that  are  good. 
The  wonder  of  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is, 
that  it  comes  to  people  who  are  not  good. 
And  his  children  are  like  him.  '  Be  ye  follow 
ers  of  God,'  he  tells  them,  '  as  dear  children  ; 
and  walk  in  love.' " 

"  I  am  not  like  that,  Mr.  Richmond,"  Ma 
tilda  said  sadly. 

"  Didn't  you  love  little  Lena  Dow  ?  I  am 
sure  he  is  not  very  good." 

"  But  he  never  troubled  me,  much,"  said 
Matilda.  "  He  does  not  make  me  miserable 
all  the  day  long." 

Mr.  Richmond  paused  again. 

"  Our  Master  knew  what  it  was  to  be  ill 
treated  by  bad  people,  Matilda." 

«  Yes,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  How  did  he  feel  towards  them  ?" 


OPPORTUNITIES.  2OI 

"  O  but  I  am  not  like  that,"  said  Matilda 
again. 

"  You  must  be,  if  you  are  his  child." 

"  Must  I  ?  "  said  Matilda,  the  tears  drop 
ping  from  her  eyes  quietly.  "How  can  I? 
If  you  only  knew,  Mr.  Richmond !  " 

"  No  matter  ;  the  Lord  knows.  Tell  him 
all  about  it ;  and  pray  to  be  made  so  like 
him  and  to  love  him  so  well,  that  you  may 
love  even  this  unkind  friend." 

"  I  don't  think  she  is  my  friend,"  said  Ma 
tilda  ;  "  but  it  don't  make  any  difference." 

"  No,  it  does  not  make  any  difference." 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  said  Matilda  timidly 
after  a  moment, "  won't  you  pray  with  me  ?  " 

Which  the  minister  instantly  did.  Matilda 
wept  quietly  all  the  time  of  his  prayer  and 
after  they  rose  from  their  knees,  leaning  her 
head  on  Mr.  Richmond's  shoulder  where  she 
had  poured  out  her  troubles  once  before. 
Her  friend  let  her  alone,  keeping  his  arm 
round  her  kindly,  till  the  child  raised  her  head 
and  wiped  her  eyes. 


202  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Do  you  feel  better  ?  "  he  whispered  then. 
Matilda  answered  "yes,"  in  an  answering 
whisper. 

"  But  Mr.  Richmond,"  she  said  presently, 
"  I  am  very  sorry  for  Lilac  lane." 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"  he  said. 

"  There  is  the  money  in  my  purse,  all  ready, 
and  our  list  of  things.  It  would  have  been 
so  pleasant." 

"  Very  pleasant,"  Mr.  Richmond  an 
swered. 

"  And  now  I  can't  do  Band  work  any  more," 
Matilda  went  on.  "  I  have  no  opportunities 
for  anything  any  more.  I  cannot  do  anything 
at  all." 

"  There  might  be  something  to  say  about 
that,"  Mr.  Richmond  replied  ;  "  but  I  think 
you  have  had  enough  talk  just  now.  Is  your 
sorrow  on  account  of  Lilac  lane  because  you 
have  lost  the  pleasure?  or  because  Mrs. 
Eldridge  has  lost  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  both,"  said  Matilda. 

"  I  suppose  so.     Would  it  be  any  comfort 


OPPORTUNITIES.  203 

to  you  to  know  that  the  work  was  done,  even 
though  you  did  not  see  it?" 

"  What,  you  mean  the  house  cleaned  and 
the  things  got,  and  Mrs.  Eldridge  fixed  up  as 
we  meant  to  do  it  ?  •" 

"  I  mean  that." 

"  O  yes,"  said  Matilda.  "  If  I  could  know 
it  was  done,  I  would  not  be  half  so  sorry 
about  it.  But  Norton  can't  manage  alone ; 
and  Maria  has  no  time." 

"  No,  but  somebody  else  might.  Now  go 
off  and  talk  to  Miss  Redwood ;  and  make 
some  more  gingerbread  or  something;  and 
after  tea  we  will  see  about  your  lost  oppor 
tunities  if  you  like." 

"Would  Miss  Redwood  do  all  that  for 
me?"  said  Matilda. 

"  You  can  consult  her  and  find  out." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

TV/TISS  REDWOOD  was  mopping  up  the 
yellow  painted  floor  of  her  kitchen,  as 
Matilda  softly  pushed  open  the  door  and 
looked  in. 

"  Who's  that?  "  said  the  housekeeper. 
"Floor's  all  wet;  and  I  don't  want  no  com 
pany  till  there's  a  place  for  'em  to  be.  Stop  ! 
is  that  Tilly  Englefield?  Why  I  declare  it 
is  !  Come  right  in,  child.  You're  the 
greatest  stranger  in  town." 

"  But  I  am  afraid  to  come  in,  Miss  Red 
wood." 

"  Then  you're  easy  scared.  Come  in,  child. 
Step  up  on  that  cheer  and  sit  down  on  my 
table.  There!  now  I  nn  look  at  you,  and 
you  can  look  at  me,  if  you  want  to.  I'll  be 
through  directly,  and  it  won't  take  this  paint 


OPPORTUNITIES.  205 

no  time  to  dry.  How's  all  the  folks  at  your 
house?  " 

"  Gone  to  New  York  for  the  day ;  aunt 
Candy  and  cousin  Clarissa  are." 

"  Wouldn't  ha'  hurted  'em  to  have  took 
you  along.  Why  didn't  they  ?  " 

"  O  they  were  going  shopping,"  said  Ma 
tilda. 

"  Well,  had  you  any  objections  to  go  shop 
ping  ?  "  said  the  housekeeper,  sitting  back  on 
her  feet  and  wringing  her  cloth,  as  she  looked 
at  Matilda  perched  up  on  the  table. 

"  I  hadn't  any  shopping  to  do,  you  know," 
said  Matilda. 

"  I  hain't  no  shopping  to  do,  nother,"  said 
Miss  Redwood  resuming  her  work  vigorously ; 
"but  I  always  like  to  see  other  folks'  goins 
on.  It's  a  play  to  me,  jest  to  go  in  'long  o' 
somebody  else  and  see  'em  pull  down  all  the 
things,  and  turn  over  all  the  colours  in  the 
rainbowr,  and  suit  themselves  with  purchases 
I  wouldn't  look  at,  and  leave  my  gowns  and 
shawls  high  and  dry  on  the  shelf.  And  when 


206  OPPORTUNITIES. 

I  go  out,  I  have  bought  as  many  dresses  as 
they  have,  and  I  have  kept  my  money  for  all." 

"  But  sometimes  people  buy  what  you 
would  like  too,  Miss  Redwood,  don't  they  ?  " 

"  Well,  child,  not  often ;  'cause,  you  see, 
folks's  minds  is  sot  on  different  things;  and 
somehow,  folks's  gowns  have  a  way  o'  comin' 
out  o'  their  hearts.  I  kin  tell,  pretty  well, 
what  sort  o'  disposition  there  is  inside  of  a 
dress,  or  under  a  bonnet,  without  askin' 
nobody  to  give  me  a  character.  What's  be 
come  o'  you  all  these  days  ?  Ha'  you  made 
any  more  gingerbread  ?  " 

«  No." 

"  I  guess  you've  forgotten  all  about  it,  then. 
What's  the  reason,  eh  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  too  busy,  Miss  Redwood." 

"  Goin'  to  school  again  ?  " 

"  No,  I've  been  busy  at  home." 

"  But  makin'  gingerbread  is  play,  child ; 
that  ain't  work." 

Matilda  was  silent;  and  the  housekeeper 
presently  came  to  a  pause  again ;  sat  back  on 


OPPORTUNITIES.  2OJ 

her  feet,  wrung  her  mopping  cloth,  and  con 
sidered  Matilda. 

"  Don't  you  want  to  make  some  this  after 
noon  ?  " 

"  If  you  please ;  yes,  I  should  like  it,"  said 
the  little  girl. 

"  Humph  ! "  said  the  housekeeper.  "  What 
have  you  been  tiring  yourself  with  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  tired,"  said  Matilda.  "  Thank 
you,  Miss  Redwood." 

"  If  I  was  to  get  a  good  bowl  o'  sour  cream 
now,  and  shew  you  how  to  toss  up  a  short 
cake  —  how  would  you  like  that  ?  " 

"  O  I  would  like  it  very  much  —  if  1 
could." 

"  Sit  still  then,"  said  the  housekeeper,  "  till 
my  floor's  dry.  Why  hain't  you  been  to  see 
me  before,  eh  ?  Everybody  else  in  creation 
has  been  in  at  the  parsonage  door  but  you. 
You  ain't  begin nin'  to  take  up  with  that 
French  minister,  air  you  ?  " 

"  O  no  indeed,  Miss  Redwood !  But  he 
isn't  a  French  minister." 


208  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  don't  care  what  he  is,"  said  the  house 
keeper  ;  "  he  takes  airs ;  and  a  minister  as 
takes  airs  had  better  be  French,  I  think. 
What  do  you  go  to  hear  him  for,  then  ?  " 

"  Aunt  Candy  takes  me." 

"  Then  you  don't  go  because  you  want  to  ? 
that's  what  I  am  drivin'  at." 

"  O  no,  indeed  I  don't,  Miss  Redwood.  I 
would  never  go,  if  I  could  help  myself." 

"  What  harm  would  happen  to  you  if  you 
didn't?"  asked  the  housekeeper  dryly.  But 
Matilda  was  distressed  and  could  not  tell. 

"  There  is  ministers  as  takes  airs,"  continued 
the  housekeeper,  sitting  up  and  giving  her 
mop  a  final  wring,  —  "  but  they  can't  kind  o' 
help  it ;  it's  born  with  'em,  you  may  say ;  it's 
their  natur.  It's  a  pity,  but  so  it  is.  That's 
one  thing.  I'm  sorry  for  'em,  for  I  think  they 
must  have  a  great  load  to  carry.  But  when 
a  man  goes  to  bowin'  and  curchying,  outside 
o'  society,  and  having  a  tailor  of  his  own  to 
make  his  coat  unlike  all  other  folks,  I  think  I 
don't  want  to  have  him  learn  me  manners. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  209 

Folks  always  takes  after  their  minister  — 
more  or  less." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  said  Matilda 
dubiously. 

"  Why  yes,  child.  I  said  more  or  less  ;  with 
some  of  'em  it's  a  good  deal  less.  Don't  you 
do  what  Mr.  Richmond  tells  you  ?  " 

"  I  try,"  said  Matilda. 

"  So  I  try,"  said  Miss  Redwood  getting 
upon  her  feet.  "  La !  we  all  do  —  a  little. 
It's  natur.  Don't  your  aunt,  now,  take  after 
her  minister  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Matilda  with  a 
sigh. 

"  Don't  you  go  gettin'  into  that  French 
man's  ways.  Mr.  Richmond's  thumb  is  worth 
all  there  is  o'  him" 

"  Miss  Redwood,"  said  Matilda,  "  I  want  to 
ask  you  something." 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  know  if  you  won't  do  some 
thing  for  me." 

"  Talk  away,"  said  the  housekeeper.  "  I 
14 


210  OPPORTUNITIES. 

hear."  She  went  meanwhile  getting  out  the 
flour  and  things  wanted  for  the  shortcake. 

"  There's  a  poor  old  woman  that  lives  in 
Lilac  lane ;  Mrs.  Eldridge,  her  name  is." 

"  Sally  Eldridge,"  said  Miss  Redwood. 
"  La  !  I  know  her.  She's  poor,  as  you  say." 

"  You  know  where  she  lives  ?  " 

"  Course  I  do,  child.  I  know  where  every 
body  lives." 

"  You  know  she  is  very  poor ;  and  her 
house  wants  cleaning;  and  she  hasn't  a  great 
many  things  to  be  comfortable." 

"  How  come  you  to  know  it  ?  "  asked  the 
housekeeper. 

"  I  have  been  there.  I  have  seen  her.  I 
know  her  very  well." 

"  Who  took  you  there  ?  " 

"  Nobody  took  me  there.  I  heard  about 
her,  and  I  went  to  see  her." 

"  You  didn't  learn  that  of  the  French 
minister." 

"  But  he  is  not  French,  Miss  Redwood." 

"  I  wisht   he  was,"   said  the  housekeeper. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  211 

"  I  say  nothin'  agin  other  country  people, 
only  to  be  sorry  for  'em  ;  but  I  get  put  out  o' 
my  patience  when  I  see  one  of  the  right  stock 
makin'  a  fool  of  himself.  Well  honey,  what 
about  Mis'  Eldridge  ?  " 

"  I've  got  some  money,  Miss  Redwood,  — 
somebody  gave  me  some  money,  to  get 
things  for  her  and  do  what  I  like ;  and  Nor 
ton  Laval  and  I  were  going  to  have  her  made 
nice  and  comfortable.  But  now  aunt  Candy 
will  not  let  me  go  there  any  more,  and  I  can't 
do  what  I  wanted  to  do ;  and  I  thought  — 
Mr.  Richmond  thought  —  maybe  you  would 
see  to  it  for  me." 

"  What's  to  be  done  ?  "  said  the  house 
keeper. 

"  Why,  first  of  all,  Miss  Redwood,  her 
house  wants  cleaning.  It  is  not  fit  to  put 
anything  nice  into  it." 

"  All  Lilac  lane  wouldn't  be  the  worse  of 
a  cleanin',"  said  the  housekeeper ;  "  men  and 
women  and  all;  but  I  don't  know  who's  to  do 
the  cleanin'." 


2 1 2  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  I  thought,  maybe  Sabrina  "Rogers  would 
do  it,  —  if  she  Was  paid,  you  know.  She 
lives  just  over  the  way,  and  she  is  pretty 
clean." 

"  Kin  try,"  said  the  housekeeper.  "  No  harm 
in  tryin'.  I  guess  a  dollar  would  fetch  her 
round.  Supposin'  it  was  cleaned ;  what's  to 
do  next  ?  " 

"  Get  things,  Miss  Redwood,"  said  Matilda 
looking  up  at  her  eagerly.  "  You  know  she 
wants  so  much.  I  want  to  get  a  bedstead 
for  her,  and  a  decent  bed  ;  her  bed  isn't  a  bed, 
and  it  lies  on  the  floor.  And  she  has  no  way 
to  wash  herself;  I  want  to  send  her  a  little 
washstand,  and  basin  and  pitcher,  and  towels ; 
and  a  table  for  the  other  room ;  and  a  sauce 
pan  to  cook  things  in ;  and  some  bread  and 
meat  and  sugar  and  other  things;  for  she 
hasn't  comfortable  things  to  eat.  And  one 
or  two  calico  dresses,  you  know;  she  wants 
them  so  much." 

The  child's  face  grew  excitedly  eager. 
There  came  a  glitter  in  the  housekeeper's 


OPPOR  TUNITIES.  213 

faded  blue  eye  as  it  looked  down  upon 
her. 

"  But  honey,  all  these  things  '11  cost  a  sight 
o'  money." 

"  I've  got  money." 

"  It'll  take  all  you've  got." 

"  But  I  want  to  do  what  I  can,  Miss  Red 
wood." 

"  I  kind  o'  don't  think  it's  right,"  said  the 
housekeeper.  "  Why  should  you  go  a  spend- 
in'  all  your  little  savin's  upon  Sally  Eldridge  ? 
And  it's  only  one  old  woman  helped,  when 
all's  done ;  there's  lots  more.  It's  somebody 
else  that  ought  to  do  it;  'tain't  your  work, 
child." 

"  But  I  want  to  do  it,  Miss  Redwood.  And 
I've  got  the  money." 

"  I  wonder  how  much  better  she'll  be  at 
the  end  of  six  months,"  said  the  housekeeper. 
"  Well,  you  want  me  to  take  this  job  in  hand, 
do  you?" 

"  If  you  can,  —  if  you  would  be  so  very 
good." 


214  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  You  make  me  feel  as  mean  as  water," 
said  the  housekeeper.  "  It'll  take  me  a  little 
while  to  get  up  any  notion  o'  my  goodness 
again.  I  suppose  it'll  come,  with  the  old 
pride  o'  me.  I  know  what  the  Bible  says, 
but  I  kind  o'  didn't  think  it  meant  it ;  and 
I've  been  a  makin'  myself  comfortable  all  my 
days,  or  workin'  for  it;  and  consolin'  my 
conscience  with  thinkin'  it  was  no  use  to  help 
one;  but  now  yours  and  mine  would  make 
two ;  and  somebody  else's  would  ha'  been 
three.  La !  child,  you  make  me  ashamed  o' 
myself." 

"  But  Miss  Redwood,"  said  Matilda  in 
much  surprise,  "  you  are  always  doing  some 
thing  for  somebody  ;  I  don't  know  what  you 
mean." 

"  Not  this  way,  child,"  said  the  house 
keeper.  "  I  kind  o'  thought  my  money  was 
my  own,  after  I  had  worked  for  it." 

"  Well  so  it  is." 

"  And  so  is  your'n  your'n ;  but  it  looks 
like  as  if  what  was  your'n  was  the  Lord's. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  215 

And  to  be  sure,  that's  what  the  minister  is 
always  a  sayin' ;  but  I  kind  o'  thought  it  was 
because  he  was  the  minister,  and  that  Sarah 
Redwood  hadn't  no  call  to  be  just  exactly  as 
good  as  him." 

And  to  Matilda's  bewilderment,  she  saw 
the  corner  of  Miss  Redwood's  apron  lifted  to 
wipe  off  a  tear. 

"  Come,  child,  make  your  shortcake !  "  she 
began  with  fresh  vigour.  "  There's  water  to 
wash  your  hands.  Now  we  must  be  spry,  or 
the  minister  '11  be  wanting  his  tea,  and  I 
should  feel  cheap  if  it  warn't  ready.  I've 
got  my  lesson,  for  to-day;  and  now  you 
shall  have  your'n.  I  never  did  want  many 
blows  of  the  hammer  to  drive  a  nail  into 
me.  Here's  an  apron  for  you.  Now  sift 
your  flour,  just  as  you  did  for  the  ginger 
bread  ;  and  we'll  have  it  baking  in  no  time. 
Shortcake  must  be  made  in  five  minutes  or 
it'll  be  heavy ;  and  it  must  bake  almost  as 
quick.  Turn  it  up,  dear,  with  the  ends  o' 
your  fingers  while  I  pour  the  cream  in  — 


2l6  OPPORTUNITIES. 

just  toss  it  round —  don't  seem  to  take  hold  o' 
nothing  —  kind  o'  play  with  it ;  and  yet  you 
must  manage  to  throw  the  mixin's  together 
somehow.  Yes,  that'll  do  very  well;  that'll 
do  very  well ;  you've  got  a  real  good  hand, 
light  and  firm.  Now  bring  it  together,  dear, 
in  one  lump,  and  we  '11  cut  it  in  two  pieces 
and  put  it  in  the  pans." 

This  was  done  satisfactorily  and  the  pans 
were  slipped  into  the  hot  oven.  Matilda 
washed  her  hands,  and  the  housekeeper  made 
neat  and  swift  preparations  for  tea.  Every 
thing  was  so  nice  about  her,  her  kitchen  and 
pantries  were  in  such  a  state  of  order  and 
propriety,  and  so  well  supplied  too ;  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  see  her  go  from  one  to  the  other 
and  bring  out  what  she  wanted.  Matilda 
was  allowed  to  take  cups  and  plates  and 
sugar  and  butter  from  her  hand,  and  found  it 
a  most  enlivening  kind  of  amusement; 
especially  the  placing  her  own  plate  and 
knife,  and  seeing  it  there  on  Mr.  Richmond's 
tea-table.  Then  came  the  excitement  of 


OPPORTUNITIES.  217 

taking  out  the  shortcake,  which  had  puffed 
itself  up  and  browned  in  the  most  pleasant 
manner;  and  then  the  minister  was  called 
out  to  tea.  It  was  an  odd  little  room,  be 
tween  the  study  and  the  kitchen,  where  they 
took  tea ;  not  big  enough  for  anything  but 
the  table  and  a  convenient  passage  round  it. 
Two  little  windows  looked  out  over  a  pleas 
ant  field,  part  of  which  was  cultivated  as  the 
parsonage  garden  ;  and  beyond  that,  to  white 
palings  and  neat  houses,  clustering  loosely  in 
pretty  village  fashion.  Among  them,  facing 
on  the  street  which  bordered  the  parsonage 
and  church  grounds  at  the  back,  Matilda  could 
see  the  brown  front  of  the  Academy,  where 
Norton  Laval  went  to  school ;  and  trees 
mingled  their  green  tops  with  the  house  roofs 
everywhere.  The  sun  was  going  down  in 
the  bright  western  sky  which  was  still  beyond 
all  this ;  and  nothing  disagreeable  was  within 
sight  at  all. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about,  Tilly,  that 
you  look  so  hard  out  of  my  windows  ?  "  the 
minister  asked. 


2 1 8  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"Nothing,  Mr.  Richmond.  At  least — I 
was  thinking,  whether  you  knew  Norton. 
Norton  Laval." 

"  He  comes  to  the  Sunday  school,  I  think. 
No,  I  do  not  know  him  very  well.  Do 
you  ?  " 

"  O  yes." 

"Is  he  a  nice  fellow  ?  " 

"  He  is  very  nice,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  Does  he  love  the  Bible  as  well  as  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  he  knows  much  about  it,  Mr. 
Richmond,"  Matilda  answered,  looking  wist 
ful. 

"  If  he  is  a  friend  of  your's,  cannot  you 
help  him?" 

"  I  do  try,"  said  Matilda.  «  But,  Mr.  Rich 
mond,  you  know  a  boy  thinks  he  knows 
about  things  better  than  I  do,  or  than  any 
girl  does." 

Mr.  Richmond  smiled. 

"  Besides,  I  can't  see  him  now,"  Matilda 
added.  "  I  have  no  chance."  And  a  cloud 
came  over  her  face. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  219 

"  Miss  Redwood,"  said  the  minister,  "  do 
you  think  you  can  manage  a  certain  business 
in  Lilac  lane  which  Matilda  had  a  mind  to 
entrust  to  you?  I  suppose  you  have  been 
consulting  about  it." 

"  Does  Mr.  Richmond  think  it  '11  do  much 
good  ?  "  was  the  housekeeper's  rejoinder. 

"  Do  I  think  what  will  do  good  ?  " 

"  Gettin'  a  new  bedstead  and  fixin's  for 
Sally  Eldridge." 

"I  don't  know  what  'fixin's'  are,  in  this 
connection,"  said  the  minister.  "  I  have 
heard  of  'light  bread  and  chicken  fixings,' 
at  the  South." 

"  The  bread  and  the  chickens  are  comin' 
too,  for  all  I  know,"  said  the  housekeeper. 
"  I  mean  sheets  and  coverlets  and  pillows, 
and  decent  things.  She  hain't  none 
now." 

"  I  should  think  she  would  sleep  better/' 
said  the  minister  gravely. 

"  Had  this  child  ought  to  spend  her  little 
treasures  for  to  put  that  old  house  in  order  ? 


220  OPPORTUNITIES. 

It's  just  sheddin'  peas  into  a  basket  that  has 
got  no  bottom  to  it." 

"  So  bad  as  that  ?  "  said  the  minister. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Richmond  knows,"  the  house 
keeper  went  on,  "  there  ain't  no  end  o'  the 
troubles  there  is  in  the  world,  nor  yet  o'  the 
poverty ;  and  Sally  Eldridge,  she  '11  be  the 
better  maybe,  as  long  as  the  things  last ;  but 
there's  all  the  rest  o'  Lilac  lane,  without 
speaking  of  what  there  is  beside  in  Shady- 
walk  ;  and  the  child  '11  be  without  her  dol 
lars,  and  the  world  '11  be  pretty  much  where 
it  was." 

"  1  don't  see  but  that  reasoning  would  stop 
my  preaching,  Miss  Redwood." 

"  I  don't  mean  it,  sir,  I'm  sure." 

"  I  don't  think  you  mean  what  you  say. 
What  is  the  use  of  giving  me  a  good  cup  of 
tea,  when  so  many  other  people  cannot  have 
one  at  all  ?  " 

"  The  minister  knows  a  cup  o'  good  tea 
when  he  sees  it,"  answered  the  housekeeper. 

Mr.  Richmond  laughed.     "  But  don't  you 


OPPORTUNITIES.  221 

think     Sally    Eldridge,   for    instance,   would 
know  a  good    bed  ?  " 

"  There  ain't  no  possibilities  o'  makin' 
some  o'  them  folks  keerful  and  thrivin',"  said 
the  housekeeper  firmly.  "  'Tain't  in  'em ;  and 
what's  the  use  o'  havin'  things  if  folks  ain't 
keerful?  Sally  Eldridge  had  her  house  respect 
able  once;  I  mind  her  very  well,  when  she 
kept  the  gate  at  Judge  Brockenhurst's  big 
place;  and  she  had  wages,  and  her  man  he 
had  good  wages ;  and  now  the  peas  is  all  out 
o'  the  basket.  And  is  there  any  use,  buyin' 
more  to  put  in  ?  The  basket  '11  never  be 
mended.  It  '11  let  out  as  fast  as  it  takes  in." 

"  The  basket,  as  you  put  it,  is  out  of  Sally's 
hands  now,"  Miss  Redwood.  "  She  is  one  of 
the  helpless  ones.  Don't  you  think  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  make  her  life  more  com 
fortable?  I  think  we  had  better  take  her 
some  of  this  shortcake,  Matilda.  Miss  Red 
wood,  as  for  you,  I  shall  expect  to  hear  that 
you  have  lamed  your  arm  doing  something 
for  her  comfort,  or  half  broken  your  back 


222  OPPORTUNITIES. 

carrying  a  heavy  basket  to  Lilac  lane;  or 
something  of  that  sort;  judging  by  what  I 
know  of  you  already." 

"  I'm  willin',"  said  the  housekeeper.  "  But 
it  ain't  this  child's  business.  She  hain't  no 
call  to  give  all  she's  got  to  Sally  Eldridge." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  the  minister,  with  a  look 
at  Matilda  which  both  she  and  the  house 
keeper  read  with  their  hearts,  —  "I  suppose 
she  is  thinking  of  the  word  that  will  be 
spoken  one  day ;  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these,'  — '  He  that  hath 
pity  upon  the  poor,  lendeth  to  the  Lord ; 
and  that  which  he  hath  given  will  he  pay 
him  again  ' ! " 

"  Then  Mr.  Richmond  thinks  it  would  be  a 
good  use  of  her  money?" 

"  There  might  possibly  be  better.  But  if 
it  is  the  best  she  knows,  that  is  all  she  can  do. 
I  have  a  great  opinion  of  doing  what  our 
hands  find  to  do,  Miss  Redwood ;  if  the 
Lord  gives  other  work,  he  will  send  the 
means  too." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  223 

"  There's  a  frame  bedstead  lyin'  up  in  the 
loft,"  said  the  housekeeper.  "  'Tain't  no  good 
to  any  one,  and  it  only  wants  a  new  rope  to 
cord  it  up;  perhaps  the  minister  would  let 
Sally  have  that ;  and  it  would  save  so  much." 

"  By  all  means,  let  her  have  that ;  and  any 
thing  else  we  can  spare.  Now,  Matilda,  you 
and  I  will  go  and  attend  to  our  other  busi 
ness." 

They  went  back  to  the  study,  where  the 
light  was  growing  soft.  Mr.  Richmond  drew 
up  the  blinds  of  the  west  window  and  let  in 
the  glow  and  colour  from  a  rich  sunset  sky. 
He  stood  looking  at  it,  with  the  glow  upon 
his  face ;  and  standing  so,  spoke,  — 

"  What  was  it,  Matilda  ?  " 

Matilda  on  her  part  sat  down  in  a  chair 
and  with  a  face  of  childish  grave  meditation, 
peered  into  the  great  bunch  of  asparagus  with 
which  Miss  Redwood  had  filled  the  minister's 
chimney.  She  sat  in  shadow  all  over,  and 
answered  as  if  taking  out  the  very  secret  bur 
den  of  her  heart  for  her  friend's  inspection. 


224  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Mr.  Richmond,  I  can't  do  Band  work  any 
more.  I  can't  do  anything.  I  can't  do  any 
thing  at  all.  You  told  us  to  buy  up  oppor 
tunities  ;  but  I  have  no  opportunities  now 
even  to  buy." 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  child  slowly.  "  I  am 
quite  sure.  .1  cannot  do  any  work  at  all. 
And  I  would  like  it  so  much." 

"  Wait  a  bit,"  said  the  minister,  still  look 
ing  at  the  evening  glow ;  "  maybe  you  are  too 
hasty." 

"  No,  sir.  Aunt  Candy  will  not  let  me  go 
out,  and  I  can  see  nobody." 

"  Whose  servant  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  Christ's  servant,"  said  the  child  softly. 

"  Well.  Being  his  servant,  do  you  want  to 
do  his  will,  or  your  own  ?  " 

"  Why  —  I  want  to  do  his  will,"  Matilda 
answered,  speaking  a  little  slowly. 

"  Isn't  it  his  will  just  now  that  you  should 
be  without  your  old  liberty,  and  unable  to  do 
these  things  you  want  to  do  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  22$ 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Matilda  said  rather  unwillingly. 
"  I  suppose  it  is." 

"  Are  you  willing  his  will  should  be  done  ?  " 

Mr.  Richmond  had  faced  round  from  the 
window  now,  and  Matilda  met  his  look,  and 
did  not  answer  for  a  moment. 

"  Is  it  his  will,  Mr.  Richmond,  that  I  should 
have  no  opportunity  to  do  anything." 

"  What  do  you  think?  If  he  had  chosen 
to  do  it,  he  could  have  placed  you  in  the 
midst  of  the  fullest  opportunity.  He  has 
placed  you  under  the  rule  of  your  aunt.  Are 
you  willing  his  will  should  be  done,  and  as 
long  as  he  pleases  ?  " 

Matilda  looked  in  her  friend's  face,  but  it 
put  the  question  steadily ;  and  she  faltered 
and  burst  into  tears. 

"  That  is  a  great  question,  Tilly,"  said  the 
minister  kindly.  "Is  it  yourself  you  want  to 
please  ?  or  the  Lord  Jesus  ?  He  can  have 
these  outside  things  done  by  other  people, 
even  if  you  cannot  help  in  them;  but  of  you 
the  first  thing  he  wants  is  an  obedient  child. 
15 


226  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Will  you  be  obedient?  That  is,  will  you 
agree  to  his  will  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Richmond  —  must  I  be  willing  to  do 
nothing  ?  "  Matilda  asked  without  uncovering 
her  face. 

"  If  the  Lord  bids  you  do  nothing." 

"  But  I  thought  —  he  bade  me  —  do  so 
many  things  ?  " 

"  So  he  does ;  and  just  now  the  very  first 
and  foremost  of  them  is,  that  you  should  be 
content  with  his  will." 

The  daylight  had  faded  sensibly  when  the 
next  words  were  spoken,  so  many  seconds 
went  by  before  Matilda  was  ready  to  speak 
them. 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  she  said,  after  that  pause 
of  hidden  struggle,  —  "  isn't  it  very  hard  ?  " 

"  It  depends  upon  how  much  any  one  loves 
the  Lord,  my  dear  child.  The  more  you  love 
him,  the  less  you  want  your  own  will.  But 
you  were  never  more  mistaken  in  your  life, 
than  just  now,  when  you  thought  he  had 
taken  all  your  opportunities  away." 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  227 

"  Why,  what  opportunities  have  I,  Mr. 
Richmond  ? "  said  Matilda  lifting  up  her 
face. 

"  This,  for  one.  Opportunity  to  be  obedi 
ent.  The  Bible  says  that  Christ,  coming  here 
to  stand  in  our  place  and  save  us,  learned 
obedience  by  the  things  which  he  suffered; 
and  I  don't  know  but  we  must,  too." 

Matilda  looked  very  hard  at  her  adviser ; 
it  was  not  easy  for  her  to  get  at  this  new 
thought. 

"  Cannot  you  as  truly  obey,  when  God  says 
you  must  be  still,  as  when  he  says  you  must 
work  ?  " 

«  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  in  either  case,  obedience  is  in  the 
heart  —  not  in  the  fingers  or  the  tongue.  Isn't 
it  so  ?  » 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  see  one  opportunity,  Matilda." 

"  Yes,  sir."     The  answers  were  very  meek. 

"  My  dear  child,  is  that  the  only  one  ?  " 
.    "  I  cannot  go  out,  Mr.  Richmond." 


228  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  No,  I  understand.  But  in  the  house. 
Have  you  no  opportunities  to  be  patient,  for 
instance  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ! "  and  a  faint  colour  rose  in  Ma 
tilda's  cheek. 

"  My  child,  patience  is  something  that 
when  God's  children  shew,  they  always  hon 
our  him." 

"  How,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  " 

"  It  shews  his  grace  and  power  in  them  ; 
for  they  cannot  be  truly  patient  without  his 
help.  And  then  others  see  it  and  acknowl 
edge  that  there  is  reality  in  religion,  and  that 
God's  will  is  beautiful." 

"  I  never  thought  of  that,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Have  you  no  opportunity  to  forgive  in 
juries,  or  unkindness  ?  " 

"  O  yes,  Mr.  Richmond !  "  The  answer 
came  from  some  deep  place  in  Matilda's  heart. 

"  Do  you  use  that  opportunity  well  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  have,  Mr.  Richmond," 
said  Matilda,  looking  very  sorrowful.  "  I 
think,  instead,  I  have  been  hating  my  "  — 


O.PPOR  TUNITIES.  229 

"  Yes.     Shall  that  be  at  an  end  now  ?  " 

"But  how  can  it?"  said  Matilda.  "I  get 
so  vexed "  —  And  she  wiped  away  a  tear. 
"  I  get  so  vexed,  Mr.  Richmond!  " 

"  I  am  very  sorry  you  have  occasion.  But 
you  cannot  forgive  people  unless  you  have 
occasion." 

«  How  can  I  then  ?  " 

"  By  going  to  Jesus,  just  as  the  sick  people 
went  to  him  in  the  old  time;  and  getting 
cured,  as  they  did.  '  If  thou  canst  believe ; 
all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth.'  " 

Matilda  steadied  her  trembling  little  lips, 
and  stood  listening. 

"  Haven't  you  opportunities  to  do  kind 
nesses?"  Mr.  Richmond  then  said  softly. 
Matilda  looked  up  and  bowed  her  head  a 
little.  Perhaps  lips  were  not  ready. 

"  Do  you  use  them  well?  " 

"I  think  not,  Mr.  Richmond  —  lately." 

"  You  know,  you  can  do  kindness  indoors 
as  well  as  out  of  doors :  and  to  disagreeable 
people  as  well  as  to  nice  people.  We  are 


230  OPPORTUNITIES. 

commanded  to  be  followers  of  God,  as  dear 
children." 

The  tears  gathered  again. 

"  See  how  much  kindness  you  can  do.  No 
matter  whether  it  is  deserved  or  not.  That 
is  no  part  of  the  question.  And  have  you 
not  opportunity  to  learn  something  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  going  to  school,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Nor  learning  anything  at  home  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  Not  much  that  is  good  for 
anything." 

"  Never  mind.     You  can  do  that  for  God." 

"  O  no,  Mr.  Richmond ;  it  is  not  useful 
enough." 

"  You  do  not  know  how  useful  it  may  be." 

"  Yes,  sir,  because  it  isn't  that  sort  of  thing. 
Aunt  Candy  is  making  me  learn  to  mend 
lace.  It  is  no  use  at  all." 

"  I'll  tell  you  a  secret,"  said  Mr.  Richmond. 
Matilda  looked  up  with  fresh  eagerness  into 
his  face. 

"  Whenever  the  Lord  puts  you  in  the  way 
of  learning  anything,  you  may  be  sure  he 


OPPOR  TUNITIES.  231 

means  you  to  learn  it.  He  knows  the  use  ; 
and  if  you  neglect  the  chance,  the  next  thing 
will  be,  you  will  find  he  will  give  you  work 
to  do  which  you  cannot  do,  because  you 
neglected  to  learn  what  he  gave  you  to 
learn." 

"  But  mending  lace  ?  "  said  Matilda. 

"  I  don't  care  what  it  is.  Yes,  mending 
lace.  I  don't  know  what  use  you  will  find 
for  that  accomplishment,  and  you  don't ;  all 
the  same,  you  will  know,  when  the  time 
comes ;  and  then  you  will  be  very  sorry  and 
mortified  to  find  yourself  unable  for  the  work 
given  you,  if  you  despised  your  opportunity 
of  preparation.  And  then  it  will  be  too  late 
to  mend  that,  as  well  as  the  lace." 

"  And  is  that  true  of  all  sorts  of  things,  Mr. 
Richmond?" 

"  Of  all  sorts  of  things.  Whenever  the 
Lord  puts  a  chance  of  learning  something  in 
your  way,  you  may  be  quite  sure  he  has  a 
use  and  a  meaning  in  it.  He  has  given  it  to 
you  to  do." 


232  OPPORTUNITIES. 

« 

"  Then  all  rny  learning  to  cook,  and  do 
things  about  the  house  ?  " 

"Yes,''  said  Mr.  Richmond  smiling.  "  It  is 
not  difficult  to  see  a  use  for  that ;  is  it  ?  " 

"  No,  sir — I  suppose  not,"  the  child  said 
thoughtfully. 

"  Have  you  not  opportunities  for  being 
thankful  too,  in  the  midst  of  all  these  other 
things  ?  " 

«  Yes,  Mr.  Richmond." 

But  the  child  stood  looking  at  him  with  a 
wistful,  intent  face,  and  wide-open,  thoughtful 
eyes ;  so  sober  and  so  eager  and  so  pitiful, 
that  it  made  an  unconscious  plea  to  the 
minister's  heart. 

"  Come,"  said  he ;  "  we  have  so  much  to 
say  to  our  Lord,  let  us  say  it." 

And  they  kneeled  down,  and  Mr.  Richmond 
put  all  Matilda's  heart  into  a  prayer  for  her, 
and  some  of  his  cwn. 

"  I  must  go  now,  Mr.  Richmond  "  —  Ma 
tilda  said  presently  after.  But  she  said  it 
with  a  much  more  cheerful  tone. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  233 

%"  I  shall  want  to  hear  how  you  get  on," 
said  Mr.  Richmond.  "  When  will  you  take 
tea  with  me  again  ?  " 

"  O  I  don't  know,  sir.  Aunt  Candy  is 
always  at  home." 

"  And  keeps  you  there  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     Lately.     She  didn't  at  first." 

"  Well,  I  must  see  about  that.  I  think  you 
must  be  allowed  to  come  and  see  me,  at  all 
events.  Perhaps  you  do  not  know,  Matilda, 
that  your  mother  in  almost  the  last  hour  of 
her  life  asked  me  to  take  care  of  you." 

"  Did  she  ? "  Matilda  exclaimed,  with  a 
wonderful  change  of  voice  and  manner. 

"  Yes.  She  did.  In  your  aunt's  pres 
ence." 

"  And  you  will,  Mr.  Richmond  ?  "  said  the 
child,  a  little  timidly. 

"  And  I  will  —  while  I  live  myself." 

"  Then  I  can  come  and  see  you,  Mr.  Rich 
mond  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  can.     I  will  see  about  it." 

Matilda  gave  her  friend  a  good  night  which 


234  OPPORTUNITIES. 

was  almost  joyous ;  and  then  ran  out  to  the 
kitchen. 

"  Miss  Redwood,"  she  said,  "  did  you 
change  your  mind  again  about  Mrs.  Eldridge  ? 
I  thought  you  agreed,  and  that  you  were 
going  to  do  all  that  for  me." 

"  No,  child ;  I  hain't  changed  my  mind.  I 
changed  it  oncet,  you  know,  to  come  over  to 
you.  I  never  did  go  both  ways,  like  a  crab." 

"  But  you  said  at  tea  "  — 

"  Well,  I  wished  the  minister'd  tell  you  to 
keep  your  money  to  hum.  'Tain't  your 
work,  as  I  can  see,  to  fit  out  Sally  Eldridge 
with  notions ;  it's  like  enough  it's  mine,  and 
I'm  willin'  to  take  it,  and  do  it,  and  see  to  it. 
You  put  your  money  by,  child,  against  a  wet 
day.  Maybe  you'll  want  it  yet." 

"  Don't  you  remember,  Miss  Redwood, 
what  Mr.  Richmond  repeated  at  tea?  —  'the 
Lord  will  pay  it  again  ?  ' 

"  Well,"  said  the  housekeeper,  "let  the  pay 
come  to  me,  then." 

"  No,"  said  Matilda,  «  that  won't  do.     It's 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 


235 


rny  business,  Miss  Redwood,  and  I  asked  you 
to  do  it  for  me  ;  and  I'll  give  you  the  money. 
How  much  do  you  want  ?  " 

"I  hain't  bought  the  things  yet;  I  don' 
know;  and  some  of  'em  won't  have  to  be 
bought,  with  a  little  contrivance.  .  I'll  spend 
the  least  I  kin ;  and  then  we'll  talk  about  it." 

Matilda  gave  her  an  energetic  kiss  and 
hurried  away.  But  I  am  afraid  the  house 
keeper's  apron  went  up  to  her  eyes  again. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

TV  /f~ ATILD A  went  home  with  new  strength, 
and  full  of  the  will  to  do  the  very  best 
she  could  in  her  hard  circumstances.  But 
the  next  morning's  dousing  and  scrubbing  and 
rubbing  down  seemed  more  fierce  than  ever. 
If  Matilda  ever  ventured  to  say  "  O  don't !  " 
—  Mrs.  Candy  was  sure  to  give  her  more  of 
what  she  did  not  like.  She  had  learned  to 
keep  her  tongue  still  between  her  teeth.  She 
had  learned  to  wince  and  be  quiet.  But  this 
morning  she  could  hardly  be  quiet.  "  Can  I 
help  hating  aunt  Candy  ? "  she  thought  to 
herself  as  she  went  downstairs.  Then  she 
found  Maria  full  of  work  for  which  she 
wanted  more  fingers  than  her  own ;  and  Ma 
tilda's  were  very  busy  till  breakfast  time, 
setting  the  table,  hulling  strawberries,  sweep- 


OPPORTUNITIES.  237 

ing  the  hall,  making  coffee,  baking  the  bis 
cuit  Both  the  girls  busy,  and  Maria  cross. 
Breakfast  was  not  sociable  ;  and  Matilda  was 
summoned  to  go  to  her  aunt's  room  as  soon 
as  the  dishes  were  put  away. 

"  Can  I  help  it  ?  "  thought  Matilda.  And 
as  she  went  up  the  stairs  she  prayed  for  a 
loving  heart,  and  that  this  feeling,  which  was 
like  a  sickness,  might  be  taken  away  from 
her. 

"  What  makes  you  look  so  meek  ? "  ex 
claimed  Clarissa,  as  she  entered  the  room. 
Mrs.  Candy  lifted  her  face  to  see. 

"  I  like  to  see  children  look  meek,"  she 
said.  "  That's  the  way  they  should  look. 
Matilda's  cold  bath  is  doing  her  good." 

"  Mamma,  you  are  very  severe  with  your 
cold  baths!  "  said  the  young  lady. 

"  They  did  you  good  once,"  said  her 
mother.  "  You  need  not  speak  against  them. 
Matilda  is  a  different  child  since  she  has  been 
in  my  bath.  Here  is  your  lace,  Matilda.  I 
am  too  busy  to  hear  you  read  this  morning. 


238  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

Take  your  seat  over  there,  and  see  how  well 
you  can  do  this ;  it's  rather  a  difficult  piece." 

It  was  a  very  difficult  piece.  Matilda's 
heart  sank  when  she  saw  it ;  besides  that  her 
aunt's  words  seemed  to  have  taken  away  all 
the  meekness  she  had,  and  to  have  stirred  up 
anew  all  her  worst  feelings.  She  put  her 
hand  to  her  face  to  hide  her  eyes,  while  she 
prayed  afresh  for  help  and  a  sweeter  spirit. 
She  seemed  to  be  all  on  edge. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Candy. 
"  Begin  your  work,  child  ;  you'll  want  all  the 
time  you  have  got,  I  warn  you.  Don't  waste 
your  time  idling." 

Matilda  tried  to  remember  what  Mr.  Rich 
mond  had  said  the  night  before,  of  the  uses 
of  things ;  and  tried  to  pray  quietly  while  she 
was  taking  up  threads  in  her  lace.  But 
remembering  and  praying  made  the  tears 
come ;  and  then  she  could  not  see  the  threads, 
and  that  would  not  do. 

By  and  by  she  became  interested  in  what 
her  aunt  and  cousin  were  saying. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  239 

They  were  unfolding  their  yesterday's  pur 
chases,  and  talking  about  what  they  were 
going  to  do  with  them.  Gauzes,  and  mus 
lins,  and  other  stuffs  new  to  Matilda,  were 
laid  open  on  the  bed  and  hung  about  over 
the  backs  of  chairs,  and  the  room  looked  like 
a  mercer's  shop.  Here  was  a  delicate  em 
broidered  white  muslin  ;  there  a  rosy  gauze ; 
there  a  black  tissue ;  here  something  else  of 
elegant  pattern ;  with  ribbands,  and  laces,  and 
rufflings,  and  a  great  variety  of  pretty  arti 
cles.  Matilda  thought  her  aunt  and  cousin 
were  having  a  great  deal  more  amusing  time 
than  she  had. 

"What  are  you  doing,  Matilda?"  Mrs. 
Candy's  voice  said  again. 

"  Looking  at  cousin  Issa's  things,  ma'am." 

"  Mind  your  work,  child.  You  will  not 
have  that  done  by  dinner  time." 

"  Why  I  can't,  aunt  Candy." 

"  You  could  if  you  had  been  industrious. 
You  cannot  now,  very  likely.  But  you  must 
finish  it  before  you  leave  this  room." 


240  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  It  is  no  use ! "  said  Matilda,  throwing  the 
lace  down ;  "  I  can't  near  get  it  done  for  din 
ner.  It  is  very  hard,  and  it  will  take  a  great 
while!" 

Mrs.  Candy  waited  a  moment. 

"  Pick  up  your  work,"  she  said,  "  and  come 
here  and  stand  before  me  and  beg  my  pardon." 

Matilda  felt  as  if  it  was  impossible  to  do 
this. 

"  Do  it,  and  quickly,"  said  Mrs.  Candy ; 
"  or  your  punishment  will  come  to-morrow 
morning,  child.  Do  not  be  foolish.  I  shall 
give  you  something  hot  as  well  as  cold,  I 
warn  you." 

It  seemed  to  Matilda  that  she  could  not 
humble  herself  to  do  as  she  was  bidden  ;  and 
the  struggle  was  terrible  for  a  minute  or  two. 
It  shook  the  child's  whole  nature.  But  the 
conciousness  of  the  indignity  awaiting  her  in 
case  of  refusal  fought  with  the  keen  sense  of 
indignity  now ;  and  conquered  in  time.  Ma 
tilda  picked  up  her  work,  came  before  Mrs. 
Candy,  and  asked  her  pardon. 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  2  4 1 

"  Very  well,"  said  that  lady  tapping  her 
cheek  carelessly ;  "  now  go  and  sit  down  and 
behave  yourself.  The  lace  must  be  finished 
before  you  leave  my  room." 

It  was  a  day  of  sharp  trial  to  Matilda,  all 
the  more,  perhaps,  that  it  came  after  a  time 
of  so  much  relief  and  hope  and  help.  Ma 
tilda  was  disappointed.  She  was  not  a 
passionate  child  ;  but  for  some  hours  a  storm 
of  passion  filled  her  heart  which  she  could  not 
control.  Her  lace  needle  went  in  and  out, 
keeping  time  to  the  furious  swayings  of 
indignation  and  resentment  and  mortified 
pride  and  restless  despair.  She  was  in  her 
aunt's  hands ;  completely  in  her  power  ;  help 
less  to  change  anything;  obliged  even  to 
swallow  her  feelings  and  hide  her  displeasure. 
For  a  while  that  morning,  Matilda  felt  as  if 
she  would  have  given  almost  anything  for 
the  freedom  to  shew  her  aunt  what  she 
thought  of  her.  She  dared  not  do  it,  even  so 
much  as  by  a  look.  She  was  forced  to  keep 
a  quiet  face  and  sit  obediently  mending  her 
16 


242  OPPORTUNITIES. 

difficult  piece  of  lace ;  and  the  child's  heart 
was  in  great  turmoil.  With  that,  by  and  by, 
there  began  to  mingle  whispers  of  conscience; 
little  whispers  that  anger  and  hatred  and  ill- 
will  were  not  right,  nor  becoming  her  pro 
fession,  nor  agreeing  at  all  with  that  "  walk 
ing  in  love  "  which  Mr.  Richmond  had  spoken 
of  the  night  before.  And  sorrow  took  its 
part  too  among  the  feelings  that  were  sweep 
ing  over  and  through  her  heart;  but  Matilda 
could  not  manage  them,  nor  rule  herself,  and 
she  at  last  longed  for  the  dinner  bell  to  ring, 
when  her  aunt  and  cousin  would  leave  her 
and  she  would  be  alone.  Lace-mending  got 
on  very  slowly;  her  eyes  were  often  dim,  and 
it  hindered  her ;  though  she  would  not  let  the 
tears  fall.  When  the  bell  rang,  and  the  door 
was  locked  upon  her,  Matilda's  work  dropped, 
and  she  too  herself  almost  fell  upon  her  knees 
in  her  eagerness  to  seek  and  get  help.  That 
was  what  she  prayed  for;  not  that  her  aunt 
might  grow  kind,  nor  that  she  might  be  some 
how  separated  from  her  and  taken  from  her 


OPPORTUNITIES.  243 

rule ;  but  that  she  might  have  help  to  be 
right;  a  heart  to  love  and  bear  and  forgive 
and  be  gentle.  Matilda  prayed  and  prayed 
for  that ;  while  her  lace  lay  on  the  floor,  and 
the  dinner  downstairs  was  gloomily  going  on. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  Matilda  to-day  ?  " 
Maria  had  inquired. 

"  Only  a  little  impatience  of  her  duties," 
Mrs.  Candy  had  replied  quietly. 

"  I  don't  see  what  duties  she  can  have,  to 
keep  her  shut  up  in  your  room,"  said  Maria 
hotly. 

"  No.  My  dear,  there  are  a  great  many 
things  you  cannot  see  yet.  And  where  you 
cannot  see,  it  is  rather  wise  not  to  give 
opinion." 

"I  have  a  right  to  an  opinion  about  my 
sister,  though,"  said  Maria ;  "  and  she  isn't 
getting  any  good  with  all  your  shutting  her 
up." 

"  There  I  think  differently  from  you,  Maria. 
Matilda  can  darn  stockings  now  in  a  way  I 
am  not  ashamed  of;  much  better  than  you 


244  OPPORTUNITIES. 

can,  I  assure  you;  and  she  is  going  on  to 
learn  lace-mending  beautifully." 

"  What  use  is  that  to  her?  I  should  like  to 
know!"  said  Maria  scornfully. 

"  It  may  be  some  use  to  me,"  said  Mrs. 
Candy. 

"  You  are  doing  Matilda  a  great  deal  of 
mischief,"  said  Maria.  u  She  is  not  the  same 
child  she  was." 

"  No,  she  is  not,"  said  Clarissa.  "  She  is  a 
great  deal  better  behaved." 

"  Yes.  I  have  taught  her  to  know  her 
place,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  It  is  a  pity  that 
is  what  you  never  were  taught,  Maria.  You 
are  too  old  now.  I  couldn't  take  a  switch  to 
you,  and  that's  the  only  way." 

"  You  never  did  to  her  ?  "  exclaimed  Maria, 
blazing  with  fury. 

"  I  never  did,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "  But 
Matilda  knows  I  would,  at  a  moment's  notice, 
if  necessity  came.  I  may  do  it  yet,  but  I 
rather  think  I  shall  have  no  occasion." 

"  You  are    a    horrid    woman ! "    exclaimed 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


245 


Maria.  "  Of  use  to  you.  Yes,  that  is  just 
what  you  care  about.  You  want  Matilda  for 
a  little  drudge,  to  mend  your  stockings,  I 
suppose,  and  darn  your  lace.  You  are  too 
mean  to  live.  If  mamma  had  only  known  "  — • 

When  people  get  so  far  as  this  in  a  burst 
of  helpless  rage,  the  next  thing  usually  is 
tears;  and  Maria  broke  down  accordingly. 
Mrs.  Candy  and  Clarissa  finished  their  dinner 
and  went  away. 

"  One  cannot  stand  much  of  this  sort  of 
thing,  mamma,"  said  Clarissa  as  they 
mounted  the  stairs. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  stand  much  of  it," 
replied  Mrs.  Candy.  "  I  am  rather  glad  of 
this  outburst.  It  gives  me  the  opportunity  I 
wanted." 

"  What  will  you  do,  mamma  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  thinking  for  some  time  what 
I  would  do.  This  just  gives  me  the  opening. 
I  will  get  rid  of  this  girl." 

"  And  what  will  you  do  with  her  ?  " 

"  Let  her  go  learn   her  sisters'  trade ;    or 


246  OPPORTUNITIES. 

some  other,  if  she  likes.     We  do  not  suit  each 
other,  and  I  am  tired  of  it." 

"  Yes,  and  mamma,  though  it  is  so  good  of 
you  to  keep  her  in  this  way,  do  you  know 
you  get  no  thanks  for  it  ?  " 

"  O  I  never  looked  for  thanks,"  sakl  Mrs. 
Candy. 

.  "  No,  but  I  mean,  people  do   not  give  you 
credit  for  it,  mamma.     I  know  they  do  not." 

"  Like  enough.     Well —  I  won't  ask  them." 

"  And  you  will  keep  the  little  one  ?  " 

"  She's  manageable.  Yes,  I  will  keep  her. 
I  like  the  child.  She's  pretty,  and  clever  too ; 
and  she'll  be  very  nice  when  she  grows  up. 
I'll  keep  her.  I  shall  want  her  some  day, 
when  you  get  married." 

"  Besides,  I  suppose  people  would  say  ill- 
natured  things  if  you  did  not  keep  one  of 
them,"  said  Clarissa.  "  Matilda  has  a  temper ; 
but  she  minds  you,  mamma." 

"  I  have  got  her  in  hand  pretty  well,"  said 
Mrs.  Candy  as  she  unlocked  the  door.  "Well, 
is  that  lace  done  ?  Not  ?  Let  me  see.  You 


OPPORTUNITIES.  247 

have  not  done  a  dozen  stitches  while  I  have 
been  away !  " 

"  I'll  do  it  now,"  said  Matilda;  so  quietly 
and  with  a  voice  so  cleared  of  all  roughness 
or  ill-temper,  that  Mrs.  Candy  after  looking  at 
her,  passed  on  to  her  seat  and  said  nothing 
further. 

But  it  cost  Matilda  some  hours  yet  of 
patient  diligence,  before  her  task  was  ended. 
Then  she  brought  it  to  her  aunt  for  approval. 
No  fault  was  found  with  it,  and  she  was 
free  to  go  downstairs  to  Maria.  Maria  had 
got  out  of  the  weeping  mood  into  dry  fury 
again. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  stand  it ! "  she  said. 

"  What  are  you  not  going  to  stand  ?  " 

"  This  way  of  going  on.  I  will  not  put  up 
with  it  any  longer." 

"  What  can  you  do,  Maria?  " 

"I'll  go  away.  I  will!  I  declare  I  will.  I 
will  not  be  aunt  Candy's  cook  and  waiter  any 
longer.  I  am  not  going  to  stand  it.  She 
may  get  her  own  dinners —  or  get  a  girl," 


248  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  But  where  can  we  go,  Maria  ?  It  is  no 
use  to  talk  so.  We  haven't  any  place." 

"  She  may  keep  you,"  said  Maria  ;  "  but  I'll 
go.  I  can't  stand  it.  I  don't  know  where. 
Somewhere !  Anywhere  would  be  better  than 
this." 

"  I  couldn't  live  here  without  you,  Maria, 
you  know,"  said  the  little  one.  "  Don't  talk 
so.  What  has  made  you  angry  to-day  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  way  you  are  served ;  and  the 
way  I  am  talked  to."  . 

"  Me  ?  "  said  Matilda.  "  Never  mind.  You 
and  I  have  a  good  deal  of  time  fco  ourselves, 
Maria.  I  shall  get  along,  and  I  shall  not  rnind 
so  much.  Don't  you  mind." 

"  I  won't  stay  and  see  it,"  said  Maria 
stoutly ;  "  nor  I  won't  stay  and  bear  my  part 
of  it." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Mrs.  Candy, 
walking  in  from  the  other  room.  The  girls 
were  in  the  kitchen.  "  I  quite  agree  with  you, 
Maria.  It  is  as  unpleasant  for  me  as  it  is  for 
you,  and  you  are  doing  no  good  to  Matilda. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  249 

It  will  be  much  better  for  us  to  separate.  I 
have  been  thinking  so  for  some  time.  You 
may  choose  what  you  will  do,  and  I  will  make 
arrangements.  Either  you  may  join  Anne 
and  Letitia  in  town  and  learn  the  business 
they  are  learning ;  or  if  you  like  any  other 
business  better,  I  will  try  and  arrange  it  for 
you.  Let  me  know  to-morrow  morning  what 
you  decide  upon,  and  I  will  finish  up  the 
matter  at  once.  I  am  quite  tired  of  the  pres 
ent  state  of  things,  as  you  say." 

Mrs.  Candy  finished  her  harangue  and 
swept  out  by  the  other  door.  Nobody  had 
interrupted  her ;  and  when  she  was  gone  no 
body  spoke.  The  two  girls  looked  at  each 
other,  Maria  with  a  face  of  consternation,  Ma 
tilda  white  with  despair.  You  might  have 
heard  a  pin  fall  in  the  kitchen,  while  Mrs. 
Candy's  footsteps  sounded  in  the  hall  and 
going  up  stair  after  stair.  Then  Matilda's 
head  went  down  on  the  table.  She  had  no 
words. 

"  The  old  horrid  old  thing!"  was  Maria's 


250  OPPORTUNITIES. 

exclamation.  "  She  came  and  listened  in  the 
other  room!" 

But  Matilda  did  not  answer,  and  there  was 
no  relief  in  the  explanation. 

"I  won't  go!"  said  Maria  next.  "  I  won't 
go,  unless  I'm  a  mind  to.  It's  my  mother's 
house,  not  hers." 

Matilda  had  no  heart  to  answer  such  vain 
words.  She  knew  they  were  vain. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak ! "  said  Maria  im 
patiently.  "  Why  do  you  sit  like  that  ?  " 

"  It's  no  use,  Maria,"  said  the  little  one 
without  raising  her  head. 

"  What  is  no  use  ?  I  said  I  wouldn't  go ; 
and  I  will  not,  unless  I  choose.  She  can't 
make  me." 

"  She  will ! "  said  Matilda,  in  a  burst  of 
despairing  tears. 

And  she  did.  Before  the  week  was  over, 
Maria  was  relieved  at  her  post  in  the  kitchen 
and  established  with  a  dressmaker,  to  learn 
her  trade.  But  not  in  Shadywalk.  Mrs. 
Candy  thought,  she  said,  that  Maria  would 


OPPORTUNITIES.  251 

have  a  better  chance  in  a  larger  towrf,  where 
there  was  more  work  and  a  larger  connection; 
so  she  arranged  that  she  should  go  to  Pough- 
keepsie.  And  thither  Maria  went,  to  live  and 
learn,  as  her  aunt  remarked. 

The  change  in  Matilda's  life  was  almost  as 
great.  She  had  no  more  now  to  do  in  the 
•work  of  the  house  ;  Mrs.  Candy  had  provided 
herself  with  a  servant ;  and  instead  of  cook 
ing  and  washing  dishes  and  dusting  and 
sweeping,  Matilda  had  studies.  But  she  was 
kept  as  close  as  ever.  She  had  now  to  write 
and  cipher  and  study  French  verbs  and  read 
pages  of  history.  Clarissa  was  her  mistress 
in  all  these,  and  recitations  went  on  under 
the  eye  of  Mrs.  Candy.  Matilda's  life  was 
even  a  more  busy  one  than  it  had  been  before. 
Her  lessons  were  severe,  and  were  required 
in  perfection ;  she  was  forced  to  give  many 
hours  a  day  to  the  preparing  of  them;  and 
these  hours  were  always  in  the  afternoon  and 
evening.  The  mornings  were  spent  still  in 
Mrs.  Candy's  room.  When  the  art  of  darn- 


252  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

ing  lace  was  mastered,  her  aunt  decided  that 
it  was  good  for  her  to  learn  all  kinds  of  sew 
ing.  Clarissa  and  her  mother  were  engaged 
in  making  up  a  quantity  of  dresses  out  of 
the  materials  they  had  purchased  in  New 
York  ;  and  Matilda  was  set  to  run  up  breadths 
of  skirts,  till  she  could  do  that  thoroughly ; 
then  she  was  made  to  cover  cord,  by  the 
scores  of  yards,  and  to  hem  ruffles,  and  to 
gather  them,  and  to  sew  on  bindings,  and 
then  to  sew  on  hooks  and  eyes;  and  then 
to  make  button-holes.  The  child's  whole 
morning  now  was  spent  in  the  needle  part  of 
mantua-making.  After  dinner  came  arithme 
tic  and  French  exercises  and  reading  history ; 
and  the  evening  was  the  time  for  reciting. 
Matilda  was  too  tired  when  she  went  up  to 
bed  to  do  more  than  look  at  a  verse  or 
two  in  her  Bible  and  make  a  very  short 
prayer;  she  almost  dropped  asleep  while  she 
was  doing  that.  However,  in  the  morning 
she  had  a  little  time  now,  not  having  to  go 
down  to  get  breakfast ;  but  the  long  lessons 


OPPORTUNITIES.  253 

before  her  were  a  sore  temptation  to  cut 
short  her  Bible  reading.  Nevertheless  Ma 
tilda  would  not  cut  it  short.  It  was  the 
child's  one  happy  time  in  all  the  day.  The 
rest  was  very  heavy,  except  only  as  the  sweet 
ness  of  Bible  words  and  thoughts  abode  with 
her  and  came  up  to  her,  bringing  comfort  and 
giving  energy.  She  was  trying  with  all  her 
might  to  buy  up  her  opportunities.  She 
studied  her  lessons  as  if  that  were  the  only 
thing  in  the  world  to  do  ;  and  in  the  hours  of 
sewing,  Mrs.  Candy  found  her  a  most  excel 
lent  help ;  quick,  and  neat,  and  skilful,  and 
very  apt  to  learn.  Matilda  was  learning  fast 
many  things;  but  the  most  precious  of  all 
were,  to  be  silent,  to  be  patient,  to  be  kind,  and 
to  do  everything  with  an  endeavour  to  please 
God  in  it.  Her  little  face  grew  pale  with 
confinement  and  steady  work;  it  grew  fine 
also  with  love  and  truth.  It  grew  gentle  with 
the  habit  of  gentleness,  and  sweet  with  the 
habit  of  forgiving.  But  all  the  while  it  grew 
pale.  She  was  very  lonely  and  unspeakably 


254  OPPORTUNITIES. 

sad,  for  such  a  child.  Her  aunt  kept  her  too 
close ;  gave  her  no  liberty  at  all ;  even  on 
Sundays  she  had  put  a  stop  to  the  little 
Bible  readings  in  the  Sunday  school,  by  not 
letting  Matilda  go  till  the  regular  school  time. 
She  never  went  to  Lilac  lane ;  never  to  Mrs. 
Laval's.  She  did  go  sometimes  to  the  par 
sonage  ;  for  Mr.  Richmond  had  managed  it; 
Matilda  did  not  know  how  ;  and  once  she  had 
met  Norton  in  the  street  and  told  him  how 
things  were  with  her,  at  which  he  was  in- 
tensly  and  very  gratifyingly  displeased.  But 
his  displeasure  could  not  help.  The  weeks 
went  steadily  on  with  a  slow  grinding  power, 
as  it  felt  to  Matilda.  There  seemed  to  be 
less  and  less  of  her  every  week,  to  judge  by 
her  own  sensations.  Less  spirit  and  spring ; 
less  hope  and  desire ;  less  strength  and  pleas 
ure.  Work  was  grinding  her  down,  she 
thought;  work  and  discipline.  She  was  get 
ting  to  be  a  litlle  machine  that  her  aunt 
managed  at  pleasure ;  and  it  did  not  seem  to 
herself  that  it  was  really  Matilda  Englefield 


OPPORTUNITIES.  255 

any  longer.  She  was  a  different  somebody. 
And  that  was  in  a  measure  true.  Yet  the 
work  doing  was  more  and  better  than  she 
knew.  It  was  not  all  lace-mending  and 
mantua-making  and  learning  rules  of  arith 
metic  and  French  verbs.  The  child  was 
growing  pale,  it  is  true  ;  she  was  also  grow 
ing  strong-hearted  in  a  new  way.  Not  in 
the  way  of  passion,  which  is  not  strong; 
but  in  the  way  of  patience.  Self  command 
was  making  her  worth  twice  as  much  as  she 
ever  had  been  in  her  life  before.  Matilda 
constantly  did  what  she  would  rather  not,  and 
did  it  well.  She  sewed  when  she  would  have 
liked  to  do  something  else ;  she  studied  when 
she  was  tired;  she  obeyed  commands  that 
were  hateful  to  her;  she  endured  from  her 
aunt  what  her  child's  heart  regarded  as  un 
speakable  indignities  and  disagreeablenesses ; 
and  she  bore  them,  she  was  forced  to  bear 
them,  without  a  murmur;  without  a  sign  of 
what  she  felt.  More  than  that.  Since  her 
last  recorded  talk  with  Mr.  Richmond  Matilda 


256  OPPORTUNITIES. 

had  been  striving  to  bear  and  to  do  without 
anger  or  impatience;  she  had  prayed  a  great 
deal  about  it;  and  now  it  was  getting  to  be 
a  matter  of  course  to  oppose  gentleness  and 
a  meek  heart  to  all  the  trials  that  came  upon 
her.  In  proportion  as  this  was  true,  they 
grew  easier  to  bear ;  far  less  hard  and  heavy ; 
the  sting  seemed  to  be  going  out  of  them. 
Nevertheless  the  struggle  and  the  sorrow  and 
the  confinement  made  the  child's  face  grow 
thin  and  pale.  Mrs.  Candy  said  it  was  the 
hot  weather. 

July  and  August  passed  in  this  manner ; 
and  then  September.  This  last  month  was 
the  hardest  of  all;  for  Mr.  Richmond  was 
away  from  Shadywalk,  on  some  business 
which  kept  him  nearly  all  the  month. 

Towards  the  end  of  it,  Matilda  coming  back 
one  afternoon  from  doing  an  errand,  was  met 
suddenly  near  the  corner  by  Norton  Laval. 

"  Matilda ! "  he  exclaimed  seizing  both  her 
hands.  "  Now  I  have  got  you.  Where  have 
you  been  ?  " 


OPPOR  TUNITIES.  257 

"  Nowhere." 

"  What  have  you  been  doing?  " 

"  A  great  many  things,  Norton." 

"  I  should  think  you  had !  Why  haven't 
you  been  to  see  mamma  ?  She  has  wanted 
to  see  you.  Come  now." 

"  O  no,  I  can't,  Norton !  I  can't.  I  must 
go  right  home." 

"  Come  after  you  have  gone  home." 

"  I  cannot,  Norton." 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  can't  get  leave  "  —  Matilda  whispered. 

"  Leave  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  Whose  leave 
can't  you  get?  That"  — 

"  O  never  mind,  Norton  ;  I  can't.  I  would 
come  if  I  could."  And  Matilda's  eyes  bore 
witness. 

"  Who  hinders  ?  "    said  Norton. 

"  Aunt  Candy.  Hush !  don't  tell  I  said 
so." 

"  Don't  tell ! "  said  Norton  in  a  very  in 
censed  tone  ;  "  why,  are  you  afraid  of 
her?" 

17 


258  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  mustn't  stop,  Norton.  I  must  go 
home." 

"Are  you  afraid  of  anybody,  Pink?"  he 
said  holding  her  fast.  "  Is  that  why  you 
can't  get  out?" 

Matilda's  face  changed,  and  her  lip  quiv 
ered,  and  she  did  not  answer. 

"  And  what  has  made  you  grow  so  thin  ? 
What  ails  you  ?  "  pursued  the  boy  impetu 
ously.  "  You  are  thin  and  blue." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Matilda.  "  Aunt 
Candy  says  it  is  the  hot  weather.  O  Norton, 
dear,  don't  keep  me !  " 

"What  have  you  got  there  ?  " 

"  Something  aunt.  Candy  sent  me  to  buy." 

"  Why  didn't  she  send  a  cart  to  fetch  it  ?  " 
said  the  boy,  taking  the  bundle  out  of  Ma 
tilda's  hand.  "  Where  have  you  been  after 
this  ?  " 

"  To  Mr.  Chester's." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  Chester  to  send  it 
home?  He  sends  mamma's  things.  He'd 
have  sent  it." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  259 

"  I  couldn't,  Norton.  Aunt  Candy  told  me 
to  bring  it  myself." 

"  What  sort  of  a  person  is  she?  your  aunt, 
who  keeps  you  so  close  ?  She  ain't  much 
count,  is  she  ?  " 

"  O  hush,  Norton  !  "  said  Matilda.  "  Don't ; 
somebody  will  hear  you." 

"Do  you  like  her?" 

"  I  do  not  like  to  talk  about  her,  Nor 
ton." 

"  Is  she  good  to  you  ?  " 

"  Don't  ask  me,  Norton,  please.  Now  we 
are  almost  there ;  please  let  me  have  the 
bundle.  I  don't  want  you  to  come  to  the 
house." 

Matilda  looked  so  earnest,  Norton  gave  her 
bundle  up  without  another  word  and  stood 
looking  after  her  till  she  had  got  into  the 
house.  Then  he  turned  and  went  straight  to 
his  mother  and  told  her  the  whole  story ;  all 
he  knew  and  all  he  didn't  know. 

The  end  of  which  was,  that  the  next  day 
Mrs.  Laval  called  to  see  Mrs.  Candy. 


260  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Now  this  was  particularly  what  Mrs.  Candy 
had  wished  to  bring  about,  and  did  not  know 
how.  She  went  to  the  parlour  with  secret 
exultation,  and  an  anxious  care  to  make  the 
visit  worth  all  it  could  be.  No  doubt  Mrs. 
Laval  had  become  convinced  by  what  she  had 
seen  and  heard,  that  Mrs.  Candy  and  her 
daughter  were  not  just  like  everybody  else, 
and  concluded  them  to  be  fit  persons  for  her 
acquaintance.  But  yet  the  two  confronted 
each  other  on  unequal  ground.  Mrs.  Candy 
was  handsomely  dressed,  no  doubt ;  from  her 
cap  to  her  shoe,  everything  had  cost  money 
enough  ;  "  why  can't  I  throw  it  on  like  that  ?  " 
was  her  uneasy  mental  reflection  the  minute 
after  she  was  seated.  She  felt  as  if  it  clung 
about  her  like  armour ;  while  her  visiter's  silks 
and  laces  fell  about  her  as  carelessly  as  a 
butterfly's  wings  ;  as  if  they  were  part  of  her 
self  indeed.  And  her  speech,  when  she  spoke, 
it  had  the  same  easy  grace  —  or  the  carelessness 
of  power ;  was  it  that  ?  thought  Mrs.  Candy. 

She  had  come  to  ask  a  favour,  Mrs.  Laval 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  261 

said.  Mrs.  Candy  had  a  little  niece,  whom 
her  boy  Norton  had  become  very  fond  of.  Mrs. 
Laval  had  come  to  beg  for  the  possession  of 
this  little  niece  as  long  at  least  as  a  good  long 
visit  might  be  made  to  extend. 

"  Three  or  four  days,  for  instance  ?  "  said 
Mrs.  Candy. 

"  O  no !  that  would  be  nothing.  Three  or 
four  weeks." 

She  is  very  much  at  her  ease !  thought  Mrs. 
Candy.  Shall  I  let  her  have  her  will? 

Mrs.  Candy  was  in  a  quandary.  She  did 
not  like  to  refuse;  she  coveted  Mrs.  Laval's 
notice  ;  and  this  visit  of  Matilda's  might  be 
the  means,  perhaps,  of  securing  it.  Then  also 
she  and  her  daughter  had  in  contemplation  a 
journey  to  Philadelphia  and  a  visit  there  for 
their  own  part ;  and  it  had  been  a  question 
what  they  should  do  with  Matilda.  To  take 
her  along  would  make  necessary  a  good  deal 
of  fitting  up,  as  a  preliminary  ;  Matilda's 
wardrobe  being  in  no  readiness  for  such  a 
journey.  Truth  to  tell,  it  was  not  very 


262  OPPORTUNITIES. 

proper  for  a  visit  to  Mrs.  Laval  either ;  but 
Mrs.  Candy  reflected  that  it  would  cost  much 
less  on  the  whole  to  leave  her  than  to  take 
her,  and  be  really  very  much  a  saving  of 
trouble.  Any  loss  of  discipline,  she  remem 
bered,  could  be  quickly  made  up ;  and  the 
conclusion  of  the  whole  was  that  she  accepted 
Mrs.  Laval's  invitation,  with  no  more  than  a 
few  minutes  of  hesitation  during  which  all 
these  thoughts  passed  through  her  mind. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  that  lady.  "  May  I 
have  her  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  To-morrow.  Hm  "  —  said  Mrs.  Candy. 
"  I  am  afraid  not  to-morrow.  I  should  wish 
to  make  a  little  preparation  before  the  child 
goes  to  make  such  a  visit.  She  has  been 
nowhere  but  at  home  this  summer." 

"  Let  me  beg  that  you  will  not  wait  for  any 
such  matter,"  said  Mrs.  Laval.  "  Send  her  to 
me  just  as  she  is.  I  have  particular  reasons 
for  liking  her  to  come  to  me  immediately.  If 
she  needs  anything,  trust  me  to  supply  it. 
Shall  she  come  to-morrow  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  263 

You  do  take  a  good  deal  for  granted 
very  easily!  thought  Mrs.  Candy.  Then 
aloud, 

"  I  should  like  to  fit  her  up  a  little  first 
The  child  has  not  been  away  from  home,  and 
in  mourning  "  — 

"  Won't  you  trust  me  to  see  that  she  does 
not  want  for  anything?  I  assure  you,  I  will 
not  neglect  my  charge." 

"  You  are  very  kind  "  —  said  Mrs.  Candy ; 
while  she  thought  in  her  heart,  You  are  very 
presuming ! 

"Then  you  will  indulge  me?"  said  Mrs. 
Laval  graciously. 

"  If  it  must  be  so "  —  said  Mrs.  Candy, 
doubtful. 

"Thank  you!"  said  her  visiter.  "My 
errand  is  my  excuse  for  troubling  you  this 
morning  —  and  so  early !  " 

Mrs.  Candy  felt  a  twinge.  She  had  not 
thought  it  was  early;  she  had  not  thought 
about  it. 

"  Your  place  is  looking  beautiful,"  she  said 


264  OPPORTUNITIES. 

as  her  visiter  rose.     "  It  is  the  prettiest  place 
in  Shadywalk." 

.  "  O  I  am  not  in  Shadywalk,"  said  Mrs. 
Laval.  "  I  am  on  the  Millbrook.  Yes,  it  is 
pretty  ;  but  it  is  terribly  hard  to  get  servants. 
They  won't  come  from  New  York,  and  there 
are  none  here." 

"  Not  many  good  ones,"  Mrs.  Candy  as 
sented. 

"  None  that  will  do  for  me.  I  am  in  de 
spair.  I  have  engaged  a  Swiss  family  at  last. 
I  expect  them  to  arrive  very  soon." 

"  From  New  York  ?  " 

"  In  New  York.  They  are  coming  to  me 
from  Vevay.  Father,  mother,  and  two 
daughters  ;  and  I  believe  a  boy  too.  They 
will  know  nothing,  except  farmwork,  when 
they  come  ;  but  they  do  make  excellent  ser 
vants,  and  so  trustworthy." 

"  Will  you  want  so  many  ?  " 

"  I  will  find  use  for  them.  To-morrow  then. 
Thank  you.  Good  morning." 

Mrs.  Candy  stood,  looking  after  her  visiter. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  26$ 

She  was  so  elegantly  dressed,  and  her  veil 
was  of  such  rich  lace.  She  must  want  a 
goodly  number  of  women  in  her  household, 
Mrs.  Candy  allowed  to  herself,  if  she  often 
indulged  in  dresses  of  fine  muslin  ruffled  like 
that.  And  Mrs.  Candy  sighed.  One  must 
have  money  for  those  things,  she  reflected ; 
and  not  a  good  deal  of  money,  but  a  great 
deal.  A  good  deal  would  not  do.  Mrs.  Candy 
sighed  again  and  went  in,  thinking  that  Ma 
tilda's  not  going  this  journey  with  her  would 
save  her  quite  a  pretty  penny.  Matilda  as  yet 
knew  nothing  of  what  had  been  in  her  aunt's 
mind,  respecting  Philadelphia  or  Mrs.  Laval 
either.  It  had  all  the  force  of  a  surprise  when 
Mrs.  Candy  called  her  and  told  her  to  pack  up 
her  clothes  for  leaving  home. 

"  All  my  clothes,  aunt  Erminia  ?  " 
"  You  will  want  them  all.  Issa  and  I  are 
going  on  a  journey  that  will  take  us  a  little 
while  —  and  I  am  going  to  leave  you  in 
somebody's  care  here ;  so  put  out  whatever 
you  will  want  for  a  couple  of  weeks." 


266  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Matilda  wanted  to  ask  with  whom  she  was 
to  be  left?  but  that  would  come  in  time!  It 
would  be  somebody  not  her  aunt,  at  any  rate ; 
and  she  went  to  her  room  and  began  laying 
oat  her  clothes  with  fingers  that  trembled 
with  delight.  Presently  Mrs.  Candy  came  in. 
She  sat  down  and  surveyed  Matilda's  prep 
arations.  On  one  chair  there  was  a  neat 
little  pile  of  underclothes  ;  on  two  others  were 
similar  neat  little  piles  of  frocks ;  some  things 
beside  were  spread  over  the  bed. 

"  Those  are  all  the  dresses  you  have  got, 
eh  ?  "  she  said. 

"  That's  all,  aunt  Candy.  Here  are  my 
calicoes  for  every  day  ;  and  those  are  the  rest; 
my  blue  spot,  and  my  black  gingham  and  my 
white.  They  are  all  clean." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Candy.  "Well —  I  guess 
you  don't  want  to  take  these  calicoes  ;  they 
are  pretty  well  worn,  and  you  haven't  any 
work  to  do  now-a-days.  The  others  won't 
be  too  nice  to  wear,  till  I  come  home." 

"  Every  day  ?  "  asked  Matilda. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  267 

"  Yes,  every  day.  There  are  not  quite 
enough;  but  you  must  be  careful  and  not  soil 
them,  and  so  make  them  do.  There  is  not 
time  to  make  any  now,  or  I  would  get  you 
one  or  two.  I  meant  to  do  it." 

"  When  are  you  going,  aunt  Candy  ?  " 

"  You  are  going  to-morrow.  So  make  haste, 
and  pack  up  everything  you  want,  Matilda. 
I  do  not  know  whether  you  can  do  with  those 
three  frocks?" 

"  O  yes,  I  will  keep  them  clean,"  said  the 
child,  in  her  joy. 

"  Well  I  believe  you  can,"  said  Mrs.  Candy. 
"  Now  make  haste,  Matilda." 

It  was  such  glad  work.  Matilda  made 
haste  in  her  eagerness,  and  then  pulled  out 
things  and  packed  them  over  again  because 
it  was  not  well  d"one  the  first  time.  Where 
was  she  going,  she  wondered  ?  Mr.  Rich 
mond  was  away  from  home  still,  or  she  should 
have  heard  more  about  it.  Meanwhile  her 
clothes  went  into  the  little  trunk  her  aunt  had 
made  over  to  her;  and  her  Bible  was  packed 


268  OPPORTUNITIES. 

in  a  secure  corner ;  her  best  boots  were 
wrapped  up  and  put  in  ;  and  her  brush  and 
comb.  Then  Matilda  remembered  she  would 
want  these  yet,  and  took  them  out  again. 
She  hesitated  over  her  book  of  French  verbs 
and  her  arithmetic,  but  finally  stuck  them  into 
the  trunk.  It  was  not  near  full  when  all  was 
done ;  but  Matilda's  heart  had  not  a  bit  of 
spare  room  in  it. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

r  I  ^HE  next  day  rose  very  bright  and  fair. 
Matilda  had  been  sadly  afraid  it  would 
rain  ;  but  no  such  matter ;  the  sun  looked  and 
smiled  over  the  world  as  if  slyly  wishing  her 
joy  on  her  good  prospects.  Matilda  took  it 
so,  and  got  ready  for  breakfast  with  a  heart 
leaping  with  delight.  She  had  got  no  more 
news  yet  as  to  where  she  was  going;  but 
after  breakfast  Mrs.  Candy  made  her  dress 
herself  in  the  gingham  and  put  on  her  best 
boots,  which  made  the  little  trunk  all  the 
emptier;  and  the  trunk  itself  was  locked. 
Things  were  in  this  state,  and  Matilda  mend 
ing  lace  in  her  aunt's  room ;  when  Mrs.  Can 
dy's  maid  of  all  work  put  her  head  in. 

"  The  carriage  has  come,  mum,"  she  said. 

"  What  carriage  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Candy. 


270  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Meself  doesn't  know,  then.  The  bi  says 
he's  come  fur  to  get  the  chilt." 

"  What  boy  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Candy  in  growing 
astonishment. 

"  Sure,  an'  I  haven't  been  here  long  enough 
fur  to  know  all  the  bi's  of  the  village.  He's 
the  bi  that  come  wid  the  carriage,  anyhow, 
an'  it's  the  chilt  he's  wanting.  An'  it's  the 
iligantest  carriage  you  ever  see  in  your  life ; 
and  two  iligant  grey  horses,  an'  a  driver." 

Mother  and  daughter  looked  at  each  other. 
The  lace  had  fallen  from  Matilda's  hands  to 
the  ground. 

"  Did  he  give  no  name  ?  " 

"  It's  just  what  he  didn't,  then.  Only  he 
jumped  down  and  axed  was  the  chilt  ready. 
I  tould  him  sure  I  didn't  know,  and  he  said 
would  I  go  see.  An'  what  '11  I  say  to  him, 
thin  ?  for  he's  waitin'." 

"  I'll  speak  to  him  myself,"  said  Mrs.  Can 
dy.  "  Go  on  with  your  work,  Matilda." 

But  in  a  few  minutes  she  came  back  and 
bade  the  trembling  child  put  up  her  lace  and 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES,  271 

put  on  her  hat,  and  go.  I  am  afraid  the 
leave-taking  was  a  short  affair;  for  two  min 
utes  had  hardly  passed  when  Matilda  stood 
in  the  hall  and  Norton  caught  her  by  both 
hands. 

"  Norton !  "  she  cried. 

"  Yes,  I've  come  for  you.  Come,  Matilda, 
your  trunk's  in." 

"Where  are  we  going?"  Matilda  asked, 
as  she  let  herself  be  led  and  placed  in  the 
carriage,  which  was  a  low  basket  phaeton. 

"  Where  are  we  going ! "  echoed  Norton. 
"  Where  is  it  likely  we  are  going,  with  you 
and  your  trunk?  Where  did  you  mean  to 
go  to-day,  Pink  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  didn't  know  anything 
about  it.  O  Norton,  are  we  going  to  your 
house!" 

"  If  Tom  knows  the  road,"  said  Norton 
coolly  ;  "  and  I  rather  think  the  ponies  do  if 
he  don't.  Why  Pink  !  do  you  mean  to  tell  me 
you  didn't  know  you  were  coming  to  us  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  know  a  word  about  it." 


272  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Nor  how  mamma  went  to  ask  for  you  ?  " 

«  Aunt  Candy  didn't  tell  me." 

"  Did  she  tell  you  you  were  going  any 
where  ?  " 

"  Yes.  She  made  me  pack  up  my  clothes, 
but  that's  all." 

"  Didn't  you  ask  her  ?  " 

Matilda  shook  her  head.  "  I  never  do  ask 
aunt  Candy  anything." 

"  Why  ?  "  said  Norton  curiously. 

"  I  don't  like  to  —  and  she  don't  like  to 
have  me." 

"  She  must  be  a  nice  woman  to  live  with," 
said  Norton.  "  You'll  miss  her  badly,  I 
should  say.  Aren't  you  sorry,  Pink  ? "  he 
asked  suddenly,  taking  Matilda's  chin  in  his 
hand  to  watch  the  answer  she  would  give. 
The  answer,  all  smiling  and  blushing,  con 
tented  Norton  ;  and  the  next  instant  the  grey 
ponies  swept  in  at  the  iron  gate  and  brought 
them  before  the  house  door. 

Matilda  jumped  out  of  the  carriage  with  a 
feeling  of  being  in  an  impossible  dream. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  273 

But  her  boot  felt  the  rough  grave  of  the 
roadway  ;  the  sun  was  shining  still  and  warm 
on  the  lawn  and  the  trees ;  the  mid-country, 
rich-coloured  with  hues  of  autumn,  lay  glit 
tering  in  light;  the  blue  hills  were  over 
against  her  sleeping  in  haze ;  the  grey  ponies 
were  trotting  off  round  the  sweep,  and  had 
left  her  and  Norton  standing  before  the 
house.  It  was  all  real  and  not  'a  dream ; 
and  she  turned  to  Norton  who  was  watching 
her,  with  another  smile,  so  warm  and  glad 
that  the  boy's  face  grew  bright  to  see  it. 
And  then  there  was  Mrs.  Laval,  coming  out 
on  the  verandah. 

"  My  dear  child  ! "  she  exclaimed,  folding 
Matilda  in  her  arms.  "  My  dear  child !  I 
have  had  hard  work  to  get  you ;  but  here 
you  are." 

"  Mamma,  she  did  not  know  she  was  com 
ing,"  said  Norton,  "  till  I  came  for  her." 

"Not  know  it?"  said  Mrs.  Laval,  holding 
her  back  to  look  at  her.  "  Why  child,  you 
have  grown  thin  !  " 

18 


274  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  It's  the  hot  weather,  aunt  Candy  says." 

"  And  pale !  "  said  Mrs.  Laval.  "  Yes,  you 
have ;  pale  and  thin.  Have  you  been  ill  ?  " 

"  No,  ma'am,"  said  Matilda ;  but  her  eyes 
were  watering  now  in  very  gladness  and 
tenderness. 

«  Not  ill  ?  "  said  the  lady.  "And  yet  you 
are  changed,  —  I  do  not  know  how;  it  isn't 
all  thinness,  or  paleness.  What  is  the  mat 
ter  with  you,  dear  ?  " 

"Nothing — only  I  am  so  glad,"  Matilda 
managed  to  say,  as  Mrs.  Laval's  arms  again 
came  round  her.  The  eyes  of  mother  and 
son  met  expressively. 

"  I  don't  like  to  see  people  cry  for  gladness," 
whispered  the  lady.  "  That  is  being  entirely 
too  glad.  Let  us  go  and  see  where  you  are 
to  live  while  you  are  with  me.  Norton,  send 
York  up  with  her  box." 

Matilda  shook  herself  mentally,  and  went 
up  stairs  with  Mrs.  Laval.  Such  easy,  soft- 
going  stairs  !  and  then  the  wide  light  corridor 
with  its  great  end  window;  and  then  Mrs. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  275 

Laval  went  into  a  room  which  Matilda 
guessed  was  her  own,  and  through  that 
passed  to  another,  smaller,  but  large  enough 
still,  where  she  paused. 

"You  shall  be  here,"  she  said ;  "  close  by 
me ;  so  that  you  cannot  feel  lonely." 

"  O  I  could  not  feel  lonely,"  cried  Matilda. 
"  I  have  a  room  by  myself  at  home." 

"  But  not  far  away  from  other  people,  I 
suppose.  Your  sister  is  near  you,  is  she 
not?" 

"  O  Maria  is  gone,  long  ago." 

"  Gone  ?  what  entirely  ?  Not  out  of  the 
village  ?  " 

"  She  is  in  Poughkeepsie.  I  have  not  seen 
her  in  a  great  many  weeks." 

"  Was  that  her  own  wish  ?  " 

"  O  no,  ma'am  ;  she  was  very  sorry  to  go." 

"  Well,  you  must  have  been  very  sorry  too. 
Now,  dear,  here  are  drawers  for  you ;  and 
see,  here  is  a  closet  for  hanging  up  things; 
and  here  is  your  washing  closet  with  hot  and 
cold  water;  the  hot  is  the  right  hand  one  of 


276  OPPORTUNITIES. 

these  two  faucets.  And  I  hope  you  will  be 
happy  here,  darling." 

She  spoke  very  kindly ;  so  kindly  that  Ma 
tilda  did  not  know  how  to  answer.  I  suppose 
her  face  answered  for  her;  for  Mrs.  Laval, 
instead  of  presently  leading  the  way  down 
stairs  again,  sat  down  in  a  chair  by  one  of 
the  windows  and  drew  Matilda  into  her  arras. 
She  took  off  her  hat,  and  smoothed  away  the 
hair  from  her  forehead,  and  looked  in  her 
face,  with  eyes  that  were  curiously  wistful 
and  noteful  of  her.  And  Matilda's  eyes, 
wondering,  went  over  the  mid-country  to  the 
blue  mountains,  as  she  thought  what  a  new 
friend  God  had  given  her. 

"  Are  you  well,  dear  ?  "  said  the  lady's  voice 
in  her  ear  softly. 

"  Quite  well,  ma'am." 

"  What  has  changed  you  so  since  last 
June  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  know  that  I  was  changed,"  Ma 
tilda  said,  wondering  again. 

"  Are  you  happy,  my  love?" 


OPPORTUNITIES.  277 

The  question  was  put  very  softly,  and  yet 
Matilda  started  and  looked  into  Mrs.  Laval's 
eyes  to  see  what  her  thought  was. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  lady  smiling  ;  "  I  asked 
you  if  you  were  quite  happy.  How  is 
it?" 

Matilda's  eyes  went  back  to  the  blue  moun 
tains.  How  much  ought  she  to  tell  ? 

"  I  think  —  I  suppose  —  I  ought  to  be 
happy,"  she  said  at  last. 

"  I  think  you  always  try  to  do  what  you 
think  you  ought  to  do ;  isn't  that  so  ?  " 

"  I  try  "  —  said  Matilda  in  a  low  voice. 

"  How  happens  it  then,  dear,  that  you  do 
not  succeed  in  being  happy  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  —  said  Matilda.  "  I  sup 
pose  I  should,  if  I  were  quite  good." 

"  If  you  were  quite  good.  Have  you  so 
many  things  to  make  you  happy  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  have." 

"  Tell  them  to  me,"  said  Mrs.  Laval,  press 
ing  her  cheek  against  Matilda's  hair  in  caress 
ing  fashion ;  "  it  is  pleasant  to  talk  of  one's 


278  OPPORTUNITIES. 

pleasant  things,  and  I  should  like  to  hear  of 
yours.  What  are  they,  love  ?  " 

What  did  the  lady  mean  ?  Matilda  hesi 
tated,  but  Mrs.  Laval  was  quietly  waiting  for 
her  to  speak.  She  had  her  arms  wrapped 
round  Matilda  and  her  face  rested  against  her 
hair,  and  so  she  was  waiting.  It  was  plain 
that  Matilda  must  speak.  Still  she  waited, 
uncertain  how  to  frame  her  words,  uncertain 
how  they  would  be  understood ;  till  at  last 
the  consciousness  that  she  had  waited  a  good 
while  drove  her  to  speak  suddenly. 

"  Why  ma'am,"  she  said,  "  the  first  thing  is, 
that  I  belong  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  lady  paused  now  in  her  turn,  and  her 
voice  when  she  spoke  was  somewhat  husky. 

"  What  is  the  next  thing,  dear  ?  " 

"  Then,  I  know  that  God  is  my  Father." 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  lady,  as  Matilda  was 
silent. 

«  Well— that  is  it,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  be 
long  to  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  I  love  him,  and 
I  know  he  loves  me ;  and  he  takes  care  of  me, 


OPPORTUNITIES.  279 

and  will  take  care  of  me;  and  whatever  I 
want  I  ask  him  for,  and  he  hears  me." 

"  And  does  he  give  you  whatever  you  ask 
for  ?  "  said  the  lady  in  a  tone  again  changed. 

"  If  he  don't,  he  will  give  me  something 
better,"  was  the  answer. 

Maybe  Mrs.  Laval  might  have  taken  up  the 
words  from  some  lips.  But  the  child  on  her 
lap  spoke  them  so  quietly,  her  face  was  in  such 
a  sweet  rest  of  assurance,  and  one  little  hand 
rose  and  fell  on  the  window-sill  with  such  an 
unconscious  glad  endorsement  of  what  she 
said,  that  the  lady  was  mute. 

"  And  this  makes  you  happy  ?  "  she  said  at 
length. 

"  Sometimes  it  does,"  answered  Matilda. 
"  I  think  it  ought  always." 

"  But  my  dear  little  creature,  is  there  noth 
ing  else  in  all  the  world  to  make  you  feel 
happy?" 

Matilda's  words  were  not  ready. 

"  I  don't  know,"  —  she  said.  "  Sometimes 
I  think  there  isn't  —  They're  all  away." 


280  OPPORTUNITIES. 

The  last  sentence  was  given  with  an  un 
conscious  forlornness  of  intonation  which 
went  to  her  friend's  heart.  She  clasped  Ma 
tilda  close  at  that,  and  covered  her  with 
kisses. 

"  You  won't  feel  so  here  ?  "  she  said. 

But  the  child's  answer  was  in  pantomime. 
For  she  had  clung  to  Mrs.  Laval  as  the  lady 
had  clasped  her  ;  and  Matilda's  head  nestling 
in  her  neck  and  softly  returning  a  kiss  or  two, 
gave  assurance  enough. 

"  All  away  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Laval.  "  Well,  I 
think  that  too  sometimes.  You  and  I  ought 
to  belong  to  each  other." 

And  then  presently,  as  if  she  were  shaking 
off  all  these  serious  reflections,  she  bade  Ma 
tilda  arrange  her  things  comfortably  in  closet 
and  drawers ;  and  then  when  she  liked,  come 
down  to  her.  So  she  went  out,  and  the  man 
with  the  little  trunk  came  in  and  set  it  in  a 
corner. 

Matilda  felt  in  dreamland.  It  was  only  like 
dreamland,  to  take  out  her  things,  which  a 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  2  8 1 

few  hours  ago  she  had  packed  in  the  dismal 
precincts  of  her  aunt's  house,  and  place  them 
in  such  delightful  circumstances  as  her  new 
quarters  afforded.  The  drawers  of  her  dress 
ing-table  were  a  marvel  of  beauty,  being  of  a 
pale  sea-green  colour  with  rosebuds  painted 
in  the  corners.  Her  little  bedstead  was  of  the 
same  colour  and  likewise  adorned ;  and  so  the 
chairs,  and  a  small  stand  which  held  a  glass 
of  flowers.  The  floor  Was  covered  with  a 
pretty  white  mat,  and  light  muslin  curtains 
lined  with  rose,  hung  before  the  windows. 
The  spread  on  her  bed  was  a  snow  white 
Marseilles  quilt,  Matilda  knew  that ;  and  the 
washing  closet  was  sumptuous  in  luxury,  with 
its  ample  towels  and  its  pretty  cake  of  sweet 
fragrant  soap.  Every  one  of  these  things 
Matilda  took  note  of,  as  she  was  obeying  Mrs. 
Laval's  advice,  to  put  her  things  in  some 
order  before  she  came  downstairs.  And  she 
was  thinking  also,  what  '  opportunities '  she 
could  possibly  have  here?  There  would  be 
nothing  to  try  her  patience  or  her  temper; 


282  OPPORTUNITIES. 

nothing  disagreeable,  in  fact,  except  the 
thought  of  going  away  again.  How  could 
she  ever  bear  that  f  And  then  it  occurred  to 
Matilda  that  certainly  she  had  opportunity 
and  occasion  to  give  thanks ;  and  she  knelt 
down  and  did  it  very  heartily ;  concluding  as 
she  rose  up  that  she  would  leave  the  question 
of  going  away  till  it  came  nearer  the  time. 

She  went  with  a  light  heart  downstairs 
then ;  how  odd  it  was  to  be  at  home  in  that 
house,  going  up  arid  down  with  her  hat  off! 
She  passed  through  one  or  two  rooms,  and 
found  Mrs.  Laval  at  last  in  a  group  of  visiters, 
busy  talking  to  half  a  dozen  at  once.  Matilda 
stole  out  again,  wondering  at  the  different 
Mrs.  Laval  downstairs  from  the  one  who  had 
sat  with  her  in  her  little  room  half  an  hour 
ago.  On  the  verandah  she  met  Norton.  He 
greeted  her  eagerly,  and  drew  her  round  the 
house  to  a  shady  angle  where  they  sat  down 
on  two  of  the  verandah  chairs. 

"  Now  what  shall  we  do  this  afternoon  ?  " 
said  Norton.  "  What  would  you  like  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  283 

"  I  like  everything.  O  I  like  everything ! " 
said  Matilda. 

"  Yes,  but  this  is  nothing,"  said  Norton. 
"  Shall  we  go  take  a  long  drive  ?  " 

"  If  Mrs.  Laval  goes  —  I  should  like  it 
very  much." 

"  Tf  she  don't  go,  we  will,"  said  Norton. 
"  The  roads  are  in  good  order ;  and  the  ponies 
want  exercise.  I  don't  believe  mamma  will 
go ;  for  she  is  expecting  a  whole  ship-load  of 
servants,  and  Francis  will  have  to  go  to  the 
station  for  them." 

"  Then  he  will  want  the  horses,  won't 
he?" 

"  Not  the  ponies.  He  will  get  somebody's 
great  farm  wagon,  to  bring  up  all  their  goods 
and  things.  You  and  I  will  go  driving, 
Pink." 

"  Will  you  drive  ?  "  asked  Matilda. 

«  Certainly." 

Matilda  thought  more  than  ever  that  she 
was  in  fairyland.  She  sat  musing  over  her 
contentment,  when  Norton  broke  in  again. 


284  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  You  are  very  fond  of  that  aunt  of  yours, 
aren't  you  ?  " 

It  was  a  point  blank  question.  Matilda 
waited,  and  then  softly  said  "  no." 

"  Not  ? "  said  Norton.  "  That's  funny. 
Hasn't  she  done  everything  in  the  world  to 
make  you  love  her  ?  " 

"  Please,  Norton,"  said  Matilda,  "  I  would 
rather  not  talk  about  her." 

"  Why  not,  Pink  ?  "  said  Norton,  shewing 
his  white  teeth. 

«  I  don't  enjoy  it." 

«  Don't  you  ?  "  said  Norton.  «  That's  fun 
ny  again.  I  should  think  you  would." 

"  Why  ?  "  said  Matilda  curiously. 

"  There's  so  much  to  say,  that's  one  thing. 
And  then  she's  so  good  to  you." 

"  Who  told  you  she  was  so  good  to  me  ?  " 

"  I  can  see  it  in  your  face." 

Matilda  sat  silent,  wondering  what  he  meant. 

"  You  can  always  tell,"  said  Norton. 
"  People  can't  hide  things.  I  can  see,  she  has 
been  doing  no  end  of  kindnesses  to  you  all 


OPPORTUNITIES.  285 

summer  long.  That  has  made  you  so  fond 
of  her." 

Matilda  was  puzzled  and  sat  silent,  not 
knowing  what  it  was  best  to  say ;  and  Norton 
watching  her  stealthily  saw  a  wistful  little 
face,  tender  and  pure,  and  doubtful,  that  just 
provoked  caresses.  He  dropped  what  was  in 
his  hands  and  fairly  took  possession  of  Ma 
tilda,  kissing  the  pale  cheeks,  as  if  she  were 
his  own  particular  plaything.  It  was  unlike 
most  boys,  but  Norton  Laval  was  independ 
ent  and  manly  above  most  boys.  Matilda 
was  astonished. 

"  Drive  ?  to  be  sure  we  will  drive,"  said 
Norton  as  he  let  her  go.  "  We  will  drive  all 
over  creation." 

The  visiters  went  away  just  at  this  juncture, 
and  the  children  were  called  in  to  dinner. 
And  after  dinner  Norton  made  some  of  his 
words  good.  Mrs.  Laval  was  not  going  out; 
she  gave  leave  to  Norton  to  do  what  he 
pleased,  and  he  took  Matilda  to  drive  in  the 
basket  phaeton. 


286  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Norton  "  —  she  said  as  they  were  just 
setting  forth. 

«  Well  ?  " 

"  If  you  would  just  as  lieve,  I  wish  you 
wouldn't,  please,  go  past  aunt  Candy's." 

"Not  go  past?"  said  Norton.  "Why, 
Pink  ?  " 

"  If  you  would  just  as  lieve,  I  would  rather 
not." 

Norton  nodded,  and  they  took  another  way. 
But  now  this  was  better  than  fairyland. 
Fairyland  never  knew  such  a  drive,  surely. 
The  afternoon  was  just  right,  as  Norton  had 
said ;  there  was  no  dust,  and  not  too  much 
sun  ;  the  roads  were  in  fine  order ;  arid  they 
bowled  along  as  if  the  ponies  had  had  nothing 
to  do  in  a  great  while.  Now  it  was  hardly 
within  the  memory  of  Matilda  to  have  seen 
the  country  around  Shadywalk  as  she  saw  it 
this  afternoon.  Every  house  had  the  charm 
of  a  picture;  every  tree  by  the  roadside 
seemed  to  be  planted  for  her  pleasure.  The 
meadows  and  fields  of  stubble  and  patches  of 


OPPORTUNITIES,  287 

ploughed  land,  were  like  pieces  ot  a  new 
world  to  the  long  housed  child.  Norton  told 
her  to  whom  these  fields  belonged,  which 
increased  the  effect,  and  gave  bits  of  family 
history,  as  he  knew  it,  connected  with  the 
names.  These  meadows  belonged  to  such  a 
gentleman  ;  his  acres  counted  so  many ;  were 
good  for  so  much ;  taken  capital  care  of. 
Here  were  the  fields  and  woods  of  such  a 
one's  farm ;  he  kept  cows  and  sent  milk  to 
New  York.  That  house  among  the  trees  was 
the  homestead  of  one  of  the  old  county  fam 
ilies  ;  the  place  was  beautiful ;  Matilda  would 
see  it  some  day  with  Mrs.  Laval ;  that  little 

cottage  by  the  gate  was  only  a  lodge.     Ma- 

* 
tilda  desired  to  know  what  a  lodge  was ;  and 

upon  the  explanation,  and  upon  many  more 
details  correlative  and  co-related,  went  into 
musings  of  her  own.  But  the  sky  was  so 
fair  and  blue ;  the  earth  was  so  rich  and 
sunny ;  the  touches  of  sear  or  yellow  leaves 
here  and  there  on  a  branch  gave  such  empha 
sis  to  the  deep  hues  still  lingering  on  the 


288  OPPORTUNITIES. 

vegetation,  the  phaeton  wheels  rolled  so 
smoothly ;  that  Matilda's  musings  did  not 
know  very  well  what  course  to  keep. 

"  Well  what  are  you  thinking  of?"  said 
Norton  after  a  silence  of  some  time. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  Lilac  lane,  just  then." 

"  Lilac  lane  !     Do  you  want  to  see  it  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  Norton,"  said  Matilda  glee 
fully  ;  "  but  not  this  afternoon.  I  haven't 
been  there  in  a  great,  great  while." 

"  I  should  not  think  you  would  want  to  be 
ever  there  again.  I  can't  see  why." 

"  But  then,  what  would  become  of  the  poor 
people  ?  " 

"  They  do  not  depend  upon  you,"  said 
Norton.  "  It  is  not  your  look-out." 

"  But  —  I  suppose,"  Matilda  said  slowly, 
"I  suppose,  everybody  depends  upon  some 
body." 

"  Well  ?  "  —  said  Norton  laughing. 

"  You  needn't  laugh,  though,  Norton ;  be 
cause,  if  everybody  depends  upon  somebody, 
then)  everybody  has  somebody  depending 
upon  him,  I  suppose." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  289 

"  Who  depends  upon  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  wish  I 
did." 

"  Not  Mrs.  Old-thing  there,  at  any  rate. 
And  how  can  anybody  tell,  Pink  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  "  —  said  Matilda ;  "  and  so 
it  seems  to  me  the  best  way  would  be  to 
act  as  if  everybody  depended  on  you ;  and 
then  you  would  be  sure  and  make  no  mis 
take." 

"  You  would  be  making  mistakes  the  whole 
time,"  said  Norton.  "  It  would  be  all  one 
grand  mistake." 

"  Ah,  but  it  cannot  be  a  mistake,  Norton," 
—  She  stopped  suddenly. 

"  What  cannot  be  a  mistake  ?  " 

"  It  cannot  be  a  mistake,  to  do  anything 
that  God  has  given  you  to  do." 

"  How  can  you  tell  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  It's 
all  like  a  Chinese  puzzle.  How  can  you  tell 
which  piece  fits  into  which  ?  " 

"  But  if  every  piece  fitted,  then  the  pattern 
would  be  all  right,"  said  Matilda. 
19 


290  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"Yes,"  said  Norton  laughing;  "but  that  is 
what  I  say !  How  can  you  tell  ?  " 

"Mr.  Richmond  says,  that  whenever  we 
have  an  opportunity  to  do  anything  or  to 
learn  anything,  the  Lord  means  that  we 
should  use  it." 

"  I  have  a  nice  opportunity  to  turn  you 
over  on  these  rocks  and  smash  the  carriage 
to  pieces ;  but  I  don't  mean  to  do  it." 

"  You  know  what  I  mean,  Norton ;  nobody 
has  an  opportunity  to  do  wrong.  I  mean, 
you  know,  an  opportunity  to  do  anything 
good." 

"  Well  now,  Pink,"  said  Norton,  drawing 
the  reins  a  little  and  letting  the  ponies  come 
to  an  easy  walk,  —  "  see  what  that  would  end 
in.  As  long  as  people  have  got  money,  they 
have  got  opportunities.  I  suppose  that  is 
what  you  mean?" 

«  Yes  "  —  said  Matilda.     "  That  is  part." 

"  Well.  We  might  go  on  and  help  all  the 
people  in  Lilac  lane,  mightn't  we  ?  and  then 
we  could  find  plenty  more  to  help  somewhere 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  291 

else;  and  we  could  go  on,  using  our  oppor 
tunities,  till  we  had  nothing  to  live  upon  our 
selves.  That  is  what  it  must  come  to,  if  you 
don't  stop  somewhere.  We  should  have  to 
sell  the  carriages  and  the  ponies-,  and  keep 
two  or  three  servants  instead  of  eight;  and 
mamma  would  have  to  stop  wearing  what  she 
wears  now ;  and  by  and  by  we  should  want 
help  ourselves.  How  would  you  like  that? 
Don't  you  see  one  must  stop  somewhere?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Matilda.  "  But  what  puzzles 
me  is,  where  ought  one  to  stop  ?  Mr.  Rich 
mond  says  we  ought  to  use  all  our  oppor 
tunities." 

"  If  we  can,"  said  Norton. 

"  But  Norton,  what  we  can't,  is  not  an 
opportunity." 

"That's  a  fact!"  said  Norton  laughing. 
"  I  didn't  know  you  were  so  sharp,  Pink." 

"  I  should  like  to  ask  Mr.  Richmond  more 
about  it,"  said  Matilda. 

"Ask  common  sense!"  said  Norton. 
"  Well,  you  don't  want  to  go  to  Lilac  lane 


292  OPPORTUNITIES. 

to-day.     Is  there  anywhere  you  do  want  to 

go?" 

"  No.  O  yes,  Norton.  I  should  like  to 
stop  and  see  if  Mr.  Richmond  has  got  home, 
and  to  ask  Miss  Redwood  a  question.  If 
you  would  just  as  lieve." 

"  Where  does  Miss  Redwood  live  ?  " 

"  O,  she  is  Mr.  Richmond's  house 
keeper." 

'•  All  right,"  said  Norton.  And  then  the 
grey  ponies  trotted  merrily  on,  crossed  a 
pretty  bridge  over  a  stream  and  turned  their 
faces  westward.  By  and  by  the  houses  of 
the  village  began  scatteringly  to  appear;  then 
the  road  grew  into  a  well  built  up  street ;  the 
old  cream-coloured  church  with  its  deep 
porch  hove  in  sight ;  and  the  ponies  turned 
just  short  of  it  and  trotted  up  the  lane  to  the 
parsonage  door.  Norton  jumped  down  and 
tied  the  horses,  and  helped  Matilda  out  of  the 
carriage. 

"  Are  you  going  in  ?  "  she  asked.  But  it 
appeared  that  Norton  was  going  in.  So  he 


OPPORTUNITIES.  293 

pulled  the  iron  knocker,  and  presently  Miss 
Redwood  came  to  the  door. 

"  Yes,  he's  home,"  she  said,  almost  before 
they  could  ask  her;  "but  he  ain't  at  home. 
I  'spect  he'll  take  his  meals  now  standin' 
or  runnin'  for  the  next  six  weeks.  That's 
the  way  he  has  to  pay  for  rest,  when  lie 
gets  it,  which  ain't  often  neither.  It  tires 
me,  just  to  see  him  go;  I'll  tell  him  you 
called." 

"  But  mayn't  we  come  in,  Miss  Redwood? 
just  for  a  minute?" 

"  La,  yes,  child,"  said  the  housekeeper  mak 
ing  way  for  them,  —  "come  in,  both  on  ye. 
I  didn't  ?spose  you  was  wantin'  me ;  I've  got 
out  o'  the  way  of  it  since  the  minister's  been 
away ;  my  callers  has  fell  off  somehow.  It's 
odd,  there  don't  one  in  twenty  want  to  see 
me  when  I'm  alone  in  the  house,  and  could 
have  time  in  fact  to  speak  to  'em.  That's 
the  way  things  is  in  the  world;  there  don't 
nothin'  go  together  that's  well  matched,  'cept 
folks'  horses ;  and  they  're  out  o'  my  line. 


2p4  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Come  in,  and  tell  me  what  you  want  to  say. 
Where  have  ye  come  from  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  having  a  delightful  ride,  Miss 
Redwood,  ever  so  far;  further  than  ever  I 
went  before." 

"  Down  by  Mr.  James's  place  and  the  mill, 
and  round  by  Hillside,"  Norton  explained. 

The  housekeeper  opened  her  pantry  and 
brought  out  a  loaf  of  rich  gingerbread,  yet 
warm  from  the  oven,  which  she  broke  up  and 
offered  to  the  children. 

"  It's  new  times,  I  'spect,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  It's  new  times  to  have  such  good  ginger 
bread,"  said  Norton.  "  This  is  prime." 

"  Have  you  ever  made  it  since  I  shewed 
ye  ?  "  Miss  Redwood  asked  Matilda. 

"  No  —  only  once  —  I  hadn't  time." 

"  When  a  child  like  you  says  she  hain't 
time  to  play,  somebody  has  got  something 
that  don't  belong  to  him,"  said  the  house 
keeper. 

"  O  Miss  Redwood,  I  wanted  to  know, 
what  about  Lilac  lane  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.-  29$ 

«  Well,  what  about  it?" 

"  Did  you  do  as  you  said  you  would  ?  you 
know,  last  time  I  asked  you,  you  hadn't  got 
the  things  together." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  the  housekeeper. 
«  Well,  I've  fixed  it." 

"  You  did  all  as  we  said  we  would  have 
it  ?  "  exclaimed  Matilda  eagerly. 

"  As  you  said  you  would  have  it.  'Twarn't 
much  of  it  my  doing,  child.  Yes;  Sally 
Eldridge  don't  know  herself." 

"  Was  she  pleased  ?  " 

"  Well,  '  pleased  '  ain't  to  say  much.  I  got 
Sabriny  Rogers  to  clean  the  house  first. 
They  thought  I  was  crazy,  I  do  belie.ve. 
'  Clean  that  'ere  old  place  ? '  says  she. 
'  Why  yes,'  says  I;  'don't  it  want  cleanin'  ?  ' 
'  But  what  on  airth's  the  use  ? '  says  she. 
'  Well,'  says  I, '  I  don't  know ;  but  we  '11  try.' 
So  she  went  at  it ;  and  the  first  day  she 
didn't  do  no  more  than  to  fling  her  file  round, 
and  you  could  see  a  spot  where  it  had 
lighted ;  that's  all.  '  Sabriny,'  says  I,  '  that 


296  OPPORTUNITIES. 

ain't  what  we  call  cleanin'  in  my  country ; 
and  if  I  pay  you  for  cleanin'  it's  all  I'll  do ; 
but  I'll  not  pay  nobody  for  just  lookin'  at  it.' 
So  next  time  it  was  a  little  better;  and  then 
I  made  her  go  over  the  missed  places,  and  we 
got  it  real  nice  by  the  time  I  had  done.  And 
then  Sally  looked  like  somethin'  that  didn't 
belong  there ;  and  we  began  upon  her.  She 
was  wonderful  taken  up  with  seein'  Sabriny 
and  the  scrubbin'  brush  go  round ;  and  then 
she  begun  to  cast  eyes  down  on  herself,  as  if 
she  wished  it  could  reform  her.  Well,  I  did 
it  all  in  one  day.  I  had  in  the  bedstead,  and 
put-it  up,  and  had  a  comfortable  bed  fetched 
and  laid  on  it ;  and  I  made  it  up  with  the 
new  sheets.  '  Who's  goin'  to  sleep  there  ? ' 
says  Sally  Eldridge  at  last.  '  You,'  says  I. 
lMe?'  says  she;  and  she  cast  one  o'  them 
doubtful  looks  down  at  herself;  doubtful,  and 
kind  o'  pitiful;  and  I  knew  she 'd  make  no 
objection  to  whatever  I'd  please  to  do  with 
her ;  and  she  didn't.  I  got  her  into  a  tub  o' 
water,  and  washed  her  and  dressed  her ;  and 


OPPORTUNITIES.  297 

while  I  was  doin'  that,  the  folks  in  the  other 
room  had  put  in  the  table  and  the  other  things, 
and  brought  the  flour  and  cheese  and  that ;  and 
laid  a  little  rag  carpet  on  the  floor;  and  when 
Sally  was  ready  I  marched  her  out.  And  she 
sat  down  and  looked  round  her,  and  looked 
round  her;  and  I  watched  to  see  what  was 
cornin'.  And  then  she  begun  to  cry." 

"  To  cry  !  "     Matilda  echoed. 

"  The  tears  come  drop,  drop,  down  on  her 
new  calico ;  it  fitted  nice  and  looked  real 
smart ;  and  then,  the  first  word  she  said  was, 
*  I  ain't  a  good  woman.'  '  I  know  you  ain't,' 
says  I;  'but  you  kin  be.'  So  she  looked 
round  and  round  her  at  everything;  and  then, 
the  next  word  she  said  was,  '  The  dominie 
kin  come  now.'  Well!  I  thought  that  was 
good  enough  for  one  day  ;  so  I  give  her  her 
tea  and  come  home  to  my  own,  an  ashamed 
woman." 

"  Why,  Miss  Redwood  ?  " 

"'Cause  I  hadn't  done  it  ages  ago,  dear, 
but  it  was  left  for  you  to  shew  me  how." 


298  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  And  is  Mrs.  Eldridge  really  better?  " 

"  Has  twice  as  much  sense  as  ever  she 
shewed  when  she  was  in  all  that  muss.  I  am 
sure,  come  to  think  of  it,  I  don't  wonder. 
Things  outside  works  in,  somehow.  I  be 
lieve,  if  I  didn't  keep  my  window  panes  clear, 
I  should  begin  to  grow  deceitful  —  or  melan 
choly.  And  folks  can't  have  clean  hands  and 
a  dirty  house." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Redwood,"  said  Ma 
tilda  rising. 

"  Well,  you  ain't  goin'  now  ?  The  min 
ister  '11  be  in  directly." 

"  I'll  come  another  time,"  said  Matilda. 
"  I'm  afraid  Mrs.  Laval  would  be  anx 
ious." 

"  La,  she  don't  mind  when  her  horses  come 
home,  I'll  engage." 

"But  she  might  mind  when  we  come 
home,"  said  Matilda.  "  We  have  been  out 
a  great  while." 

"Out?  why,  you  don't  never  mean  yon 
come  from  Mrs.  Laval's'?" 


OPPORTUNITIES.  299 

"  Yes,  she  does,"  said  Norton.  "  We've 
got  her." 

"  Hm !  Well  I  just  wish  you'd  keep  her," 
said  the  housekeeper.  u  She's  as  poor  as  a 
peascod  in  a  drouth." 

At  which  similitude  Norton  laughed  all  the 
way  home. 


CHAPTER    X. 

FT  is  impossible  to  tell  how  pleasant  Ma 
tilda's  room  was  to  her  that  night.  She 
had  a  beautiful  white  candle  burning  in  a 
painted  candlestick,  and  it  shed  light  on  the 
soft  green  furniture  and  the  mat  and  the  white 
quilt  and  the  pictures  on  the  walls,  till  it  all 
looked  more  fairylandish  than  ever;  and  Ma 
tilda  could  hardly  believe  her  own  senses  that 
it  was.  real.  And  when  the  candle  was  cov 
ered  with  its  painted  extinguisher,  and  the 
moonlight  streamed  in  through  the  muslin 
curtains,  it  was  lovelier  yet.  Matilda  went  to 
the  window  and  gazed  out.  The  fields  and 
copses  lay  all  crisp  and  bright  in  the  cool 
moonbeams;  and  over  beyond  lay  the  blue 
mountains,  in  a  misty  indistinctness  that  was 
even  more  ensnaring  than  their  midday 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  30! 

beauty.  And  no  bell  of  Mrs.  Candy's  could 
sound  in  that  fairy  chamber  to  summon  Ma 
tilda  to  what  she  didn't  like.  She  was  almost 
too  happy ;  only  there  came  the  thought,  how 
she  would  ever  bear  to  go  away  again. 

That  thought '  came  in  the  morning  too. 
But  pleasure  soon  swept  it  away  out  of  sight. 
She  had  a  charming  hour  with  Mrs.  Laval1  in 
the  greenhouse;  after  which  they. went  up  to 
Matilda's  room ;  and  Mrs.  Laval  made  some 
little  examination  into  the  state  of  that  small 
wardrobe  which  had  been  packed  up  the  day 
before  and  now  lay  in  the  drawers  of  the 
green  dressing-table.  Following  which,  Mrs. 
Laval  carried  Matilda  off  into  another  room 
where  a  young  woman  sat  sewing ;  and  her 
she  directed  to  take  Matilda's  measure  and 
fit  her  with  a  dress  from  a  piece  of  white 
cambrick  which  lay  on  the  table. 

"  It's  getting  pretty  cool,  ma'am,  for  this 
sort  of  thing,"  said  the  seamstress. 

"  Yes,  but  it  will  be  wanted,  and  it  is  all  I 
have  got  in  the  house  just  now.  I  will  get 


302  OPPORTUNITIES. 

something  warmer  to-day  or  to-morrow,  or 
whenever  I  go  out.  And  Belinda,  you  may 
make  a  little  sacque  to  wear  with  this  ;  there 
is  enough  of  that  red  cashmere  left  for  it. 
That  will  do." 

Two  or  three  days  saw  the  white  frock 
done  and  the  sacque.  Mrs.  Laval  provided 
Matilda  with  pretty  slippers  and  a  black  sash  ; 
and  furthermore  desired  that  she  would  put 
these  things  on  and  wear  them  at  once.  Ma 
tilda  did  not  know  herself,  in  such  new  cir 
cumstances,  but  obeyed,  and  went  downstairs 
very  happy.  Norton  cast  an  approving 
glance  at  her  as  she  met  him. 

"  Come  here,"  said  he  stretching  out  his 
hand  to  her;  "mamma's  busy  with  her  new 
people,  and  we  will  have  another  drive  pres 
ently.  Come  and  sit  down  till  it  is  time  to 

go-" 

They  went  on  the  verandah,  where  it  was 
warm  and  yet  shady ;  the  October  sun  was 
so  genial,  and  the  winds  were  so  still. 

"  So  they  have  come?  "  said  Matilda. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  303 

"  Yes,  a  lot  of  them.  Look  as  if  they 
had  come  from  the  other  end  of  creation. 
Pink,  I  think  I'll  cover  all  that  bank  with 
bulbs." 

"  What  are  bulbs  ?  " 

"  You  don't  know  much,  if  you  are  a 
brick,"  said  Norton.  "I  mean,  tulips  and 
hyacinths  and  crocuses  arid  ranunculuses  and 
—  well,  I  don't  know  all,  but  those  specially. 
Wouldn't  it  be  fine?" 

Norton  was  a  great  gardener. 

"  I  know  tulips,"  said  Matilda.  "  We  have 
a  bunch  of  red  tulips  in  our  garden.  I  think 
they  are  beautiful." 

"  I  do  not  mean  red  tulips.  Did  you  never 
see  any  but  those  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  what  I  mean  by 
tulips.  They  are  everything  else  except  plain 
red  ;  I  shall  not  have  one  of  those." 

"Yellow?" 

"  Well  perhaps  I  may  have  two  or  three 
yellow  ones.  They  are  pretty ;  —  clear  lem- 


304  OPPORTUNITIES. 

on  colour,  you  know ;  the  colour  of  even 
ing  primroses." 

"  Are  there  blue  tulips  too  ?  " 

"  Not  that  ever  I  heard,"  said  Norton.  "  No, 
there  are  red,  and  yellow,  and  yellow  striped 
with  red,  and  white  striped  with  red,  and  white 
blotched  with  carmine,  and  yellow  edged  with 
brown  or  purple,  and  a  thousand  sorts;  but 
never  a  blue." 

"  That's  odd,  isn't  it  ? "  said  Matilda. 
"  And  nobody  ever  heard  of  a  blue  rose." 

"  Perhaps  they  will,  though."  said  Norton. 
"  There  are  black  roses,  and  green  roses.  But 
I  don't  believe  either  there  can  be  a  blue  rose ; 
it  is  against  nature." 

"  But  how  many  tulips  will  you  have,  Nor 
ton  ?  you  said  two  or  three  yellow  ones ;  and 
there  are  a  thousand  sorts." 

"  Well,  I  will  not  have  all  the  sorts,"  said 
Norton ;  "  but  I  tell  you  what  I  will  do.  I 
will  fill  all  that  bank  with  them  and  hyacinths, 
I  shall  want  a  hundred  or  so." 

"  Do  they  cost  much  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  305 

"  Pretty  well,"  said  Norton  ;  "  if  you  get 
the  costly  sorts.  They  are  a  dollar  apiece, 
some  of  them.  But  plenty  are  nice  for  fifty 
cents,  and  thirty  cents." 

"  Your  tulip  bed  will  cost  —  a  great  deal, 
Norton ! " 

"  And  that  bed  over  there,"  Norton  went 
on,  pointing,  "  shall  be  your  bed;  and  I  will 
fill  it  with  hyacinths  for  you.  You  shall 
choose  what  colours,  Pink.  They  will  be 
beautiful  in  May.  Those  shall  be  yours." 

"  O  thank  you  !     But  do  they  cost  much  ?  " 

"  You  always  ask  that,"  said  Norton  laugh 
ing.  "  Yes,  some  of  them  do.  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  will  do,  Pink  —  and  then  you  will  be 
easy.  I  will  spend  twenty  five  dollars  on  my 
tulip  bed,  and  you  shall  spend  twenty  five 
dollars  dn  your  hyacinth  bed;  and  you  shall 
say  now  what  sorts  you  will  have." 

"  Twenty  five  dollars!"  said  Matilda.  «O 
Norton,  thank  you.  How  nice !  And  I 
never  saw  a  hyacinth  in  my  life.  What  are 
they  like  ?  " 

20 


306  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Norton  was  endeavouring  to  tell,  when  Mrs. 
Laval  came  upon  the  verandah.  She  came 
with  business  upon  her  lips,  but  stopped  and 
her  face  changed  when  she  saw  Matilda. 

"  My  dear  child !  "  she  said. 

"  Mamma,"  said  Norton,  "  isn't  she  a 
brick  ?  " 

"  A  brick  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Laval,  taking  Ma 
tilda  in  her  arms  and  sitting  down  with  her. 
"  A  brick  !  —  this  soft,  sweet,  fresh  Delight  of 
mine  !  "  And  as  she  spoke  she  emphasized 
her  words  with  kisses.  "  My  darling !  There 
is  nothing  rough  or  harsh  or  stiff  about  you  — 
nor  anything  angular ;  nor  anything  coarse ; 
and  he  calls  you  a  brick  !  " 

"  I  think  he  means  something  good  by  it, 
ma'am,"  Matilda  said  laughing. 

"  I  don't  know  about  the  angles,"  said  Nor 
ton.  "  Pink  has  a  stiff  corner  now  and  then 
that  I  haven't  been  able  to  break  off  yet." 

"  Break  off!  "  said  Mrs.  Laval,  sitting  with 
her  arms  round  Matilda.  And  then  they  all 
went  off  into  a  laugh  together. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  307 

"  I  had  forgotten  what  I  was  going  to  say," 
Mrs.  Laval  resumed.  "  When  you  are  out, 
Norton,  I  wish  you  would  stop  and  send  the 
doctor  here." 

"  What's  the  matter  ?"    . 

"  I  don't  know  ;  but  those  poor  people  are 
in  a  state  under  the  bank,  and  maybe  the 
doctor  could  best  tell  what  they  want." 

"Sick?"  said  Norton. 

"  No,  not  sick,  but  dull  and  spiritless.  I 
don't  know  what  is  the  matter.  They  are 
tired  with  their  journey  perhaps,  and  forlorn 
in  a  strange  place.  Maybe  they  would  feel 
better  if  they  saw  the  doctor.  I  think  such 
people  often  do." 

And  then  Norton  and  Matilda  had  another 
ride  in  the  basket  wagon. 

On  their  return,  Norton  proposed  that  they 
should  go  down  under  the  bank  and  see  the 
new  comers.  Matilda  w.as  ready  for  any 
thing.  Under  the  bank,  was  the  place  for 
Mrs.  Laval's  farm-house  and  dairy  house,  and 
barns  and  stables ;  a  neat  little  settlement  it 


308  OPPORTUNITIES. 

looked  like.  A  pretty  little  herd  of  cows  had 
come  home  to  be  milked,  and  a  woman  in  a 
strange  costume,  never  before  known  at  Sha- 
dywalk,  had  come  out  with  a  milking  pail. 
To  her  Norton  marched  up,  and  addressed 
her  in  French  ;  Matilda  could  not  understand 
a  word  of  it ;  but  presently  Norton  went  off 
into  the  farm-house.  Here,  in  the  kitchen, 
they  found  the  rest  of  the  family.  A  pleas 
ant-faced  middle-aged  woman  was  busy  with 
supper;  a  young  pretty  girl  was  helping  her; 
and  two  men,  travel-worn  and  bearing  the 
marks  of  poverty,  sat  over  the  fire  holding 
their  heads.  Norton  entered  into  conversation 
here  again.  It  was  very  amusing  to  Matilda, 
the  play  of  face  and  interchange  of  lively 
words  between  him  and  these  people,  while 
yet  she  could  not  understand  a  word.  Even 
the  men  lifted  up  what  seemed  to  be  heavy 
heads  to  glance  at  the  young  master  of  the 
place;  and  the  women  looked  at  him  and 
spoke  with  unbent  brows  and  pleasant  and 
pleased  countenances.  But  the  elder  woman 


OPPORTUNITIES.  309 

had  a  good  deal  to  say ;  and  Norton  looked 
rather  thoughtful  as  he  came  out. 

"  What  is  it  all,  Norton?  "  Matilda  asked. 
"  Is  all  right  ?  " 

"  Well,  not  exactly,*  said  Norton.  "  Those 
two  men  are  sick." 

"  Hasn't  the  doctor  come  yet  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  he  says  they  want  a  few  days 
of  rest ;  but  J  say  they  are  sick." 

"  But  the  doctor  must  know  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Norton.  "  Perhaps  he 
don't." 

The  people  under  the  bank  were  forgotten 
soon,  in  the  warm  luxury  of  the  drawing- 
room  and  the  bright  tea-table,  and  the  com 
fort  of  sugared  peaches.  And  then  Matilda 
and  Norton  played  chess  all  the  evening, 
talking  to  Mrs.  Laval  at  intervals.  The 
tulip  bed  and  the  hyacinth  bed  were  pro 
posed,  and  approved ;  a  trip  to  Poughkeepsie 
was  arranged,  to  see  Maria ;  and  Norton  told 
of  Miss  Redwood's  doings  in  Lilac  lane. 
Mrs.  Laval  was  much  amused 


310  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  And  you  two  children  have  done  that ! " 
she  said. 

"  You  gave  me  the  money  for  it,  ma'am," 
said  Matilda. 

"  It  was  yours  after  I  had  given  it,"  said 
the  lady.  "  I  wonder  how  much  good  really 
now,  all  that  will  amount  to  ?  or  whether  it 
is  just  a  flash  in  the  pan  ?  That  is  the  ques 
tion  that  always  cornes  to  me." 

Matilda  looked  up  from  the  chess  men, 
wondering  what  she  could  mean. 

"  It  is  a  real  good  to  have  the  house 
cleaned;  you  would  never  doubt  that, 
mamma,  if  you  had  seen  it,"  Norton  re 
marked. 

"  And  it  is  a  real  good  that  the  poor 
woman  is  ready  to  have  Mr.  Richmond  come 
to  see  her  now,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  repeated  Mrs.  Laval. 
"  That's  your  minister.  You  think  a  great 
deal  of  Mr.  Richmond,  don't  you,  Matilda  ?  " 

"  Everybody  does,"  said  Matilda.  Mrs. 
Laval  smiled. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  3  1 1 

"  I  don't  know  him,  you  know.  But  about 
your  doings  in  the  lane  —  there  is  no  end  to 
that  sort  of  work.  You  might  keep  on  for 
ever,  and  be  no  nearer  the  end.  That  is  what 
always  discourages  me.  There  are  always 
new  old  women  to  comfort,  and  fresh  poor 
people  to  help.  There  is  no  end." 

"But  then"  —  said  Matilda.  She  began 
timidly,  and  stopped. 

"  What  then  ? "  said  Mrs.  Laval  smil 
ing. 

"  Yes,  just  hear  Pink,  mamma,"  said  Nor 
ton. 

"  What  then,  Matilda  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Laval, 
still  looking  at  her  as  at  something  pleasant 
to  the  eyes. 

"  I  was  going  to  say,"  Matilda  began  again 
with  a  blush,  '  isn't  it  meant  that  we  should 
1  keep  on  forever '  ?  " 

"  Doing  good  to  the  poor?  But  then  one 
would  soon  have  nothing  to  do  good  with. 
One  must  stop  somewhere." 

Clearly,  one  must  stop  somewhere.     A  line 


312  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

must  be  found ;  inside  or  outside  of  her  bed 
of  hyacinths,  Matilda  wondered?  She  did 
not  press  her  doubts,  though  she  did  not  for 
get  them;  and  the  talk  passed  on  toother 
things.  Nothing  could  be  more  delightful 
than  that  evening,  she  thought. 

The  next  day  there  was  charming  work  to 
be  done.  Norton  was  to  take  her  by  the 
early  train  the  morning  after  to  go  to  Pough- 
keepsie ;  and  Matilda  was  to  prepare  to-day 
a  basket  of  fruit,  and  get  ready  some  little 
presents  to  take  to  her  sister.  The  day  was 
swallowed  up  in  these  delights ;  and  the  next 
day,  the  day  of  the  journey,  was  one  long 
dream  of  pleasure.  The  ride  to  the  station, 
the  hour  in  the  cars,  or  less  than  an  hour; 
but  the  variety  of  new  sights  and  sensations 
made  it  seem  long;  the  view  of  a  new  place  ; 
the  joyful  visit  to  Maria,  and  the  uncommonly 
jolly  dinner  the  three  had  together  at  a  good 
restaurant,  made  a  time  of  unequalled  de 
light.  Only  Maria  looked  gloomy,  Matilda 
thought;  even  a  little  discomposed  at  so  much 


OPPORTUNITIES.  3  1 3 

pleasure  coming  to  her  little  sister  and  miss 
ing  her.  And  in  this  feeling,  Matilda  feared, 
Maria  lost  half  the  good  of  the  play-day  that 
had  come  to  her.  However,  nothing  could 
spoil  it  for  the  other  two ;  and  Matilda  came 
home  in  the  cars  towards  nightfall  again  with 
a  heart  full  of  content.  Only  a  pang  darted 
through  her,  as  they  were  driving  home  under 
the  stars,  at  the  thought  how  many  days  of 
her  fortnight  were  already  gone.  Matilda  did 
not  know  it  was  to  be  a  month. 

They  found  Mrs.  Laval  in  perplexity. 

"  I  wish,  Norton,"  she  said,  "  that  you 
would  go  and  bring  the  doctor  here  immedi 
ately.  The  two  women  are  ailing  now,  and 
the  men  are  quite  sick.  I  don't  know  what 
to  do.  York  is  gone  to  town,  you  know,  to 
look  after  the  interest  on  his  bonds ;  and 
Francis  demanded  permission  this  afternoon 
to  go  and  see  his  father  who  is  dying.  I 
have  no  one  to  send  for  anything.  I  could 
not  keep  Francis,  and  I  do  not  believe  he 
would  have  been  kept." 


314  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Who's  to  look  after  the  horses,  mamma?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  You  must  find  some  one, 
for  a  day  or  so.  You  must  do  that  too,  to 
night" 

Norton  went  and  came  back,  and  the  even 
ing  passed  as  gayly  as  ever ;  York's  absence 
being  made  up  by  the  services  of  the  children, 
which,  Mrs.  Laval  said,  were  much  better. 
Matilda  made  toast  at  the  fire,  and  poured 
out  tea ;  and  Norton  managed  the  tea-kettle 
and  buttered  the  toast,  and  fetched  and 
carried  generally ;  and  they  had  a  merry  time. 
But  the  next  morning  shewed  a  change  in  the 
social  atmosphere. 

Matilda  came  downstairs,  as  she  always 
did,  the  earliest  of  the  family.  In  the  hall 
she  encountered  the  housemaid,  not  broom  in 
hand  as  usual,  but  with  her  bonnet  and  shawl 
on. 

"  I'm  going  out  this  way,  miss,  ye  see, 
becaase  it's  shorter,"  she  said  with  a  certain 
smothered  mystery  of  tone. 

"  What  is  shorter  ?    and  where   are    you 


OPPORTUNITIES.  315 

going,  Jane  ? "  Matilda  asked,  struck  by 
something  in  the  girl's  air. 

"  Och,  it's  no  lady  wouldn't  expict  one  to 
stop,  whin  it's  that's  the  matter.." 

"  When  what  is  the  matter  ?  what  do  you 
mean  ?  Are  you  going  away  ?  " 

"  Faith,  it's  glad  I  be,  to  be  off;  and  none 
too  soon.  I'd  shew  'em  the  back  of  me  head, 
you,  dear,  if  it  was  me,  goin'  out  at  the  front 
door.  The  likes  o'  you  isn't  obleeged  to  stop 
no  more  nor  meself."  This  advice  was  given 
in  the  same  mysterious  undertone,  and 
puzzled  Matilda  exceedingly. 

"  But  Jane,"  she  said,  catching  the  woman's 
shawl  as  she  would  have  left  her,  "  you  know 
York  is  away ;  and  there  is  nobody  to  do 
things.  Mrs.  Laval  will  want  you." 

"  She's  welcome  to  want  me,"  said  the  girl. 
"  I  didn't  engage  fur  to  serve  in  a  hospital, 
and  I  won't  do  it.  Me  life  is  as  good  to  me, 
sure,  as  her  own  or  anybody's." 

"  But  what  shall  I  tell  Mrs.  Laval  ?  Aren't 
you  coming  back  ?  " 


3 1 6  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Niver  a  bit,  till  the  sickness  is  gone." 
And  with  that  the  girl  would  not  be  kept, 
but  got  away. 

Matilda  stood  bewildered.  Yes,  she  saw 
the  broom  and  duster  had  been  nowhere  that 
morning.  Everything  was  left.  It  was  early 
yet.  The  sunbeams  came  slant  and  cool 
upon  the  white  frost  outside,  as  Jane  opened 
the  door ;  and  so  when  the  door  was  shut 
they  stole  in  upon  the  undusted  hall  and 
rooms.  Matilda  softly  made  her  way  to  the 
kitchen  stairs  and  went  down,  fearing  lest 
there  might  be  more  defaulters  in  the  house 
hold.  To  her  relief,  she  found  the  cook 
moving  about  preparing  for  some  distant 
breakfast.  But  breakfast  was  never  an  early 
meal. 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Mattison,"  said  the 
child.  "  I  came  down  to  see  if  there  was 
anybody  here.  I  met  Jane  just  now,  going 
out." 

"  I'm  here  yet,"  said  Mattison.  "  I'll  get 
your  breakfast,  before  I'm  off." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  317 

"  Are  you  going  too  ?  " 

"  Take  my  advice,  and  don't  you  stop,"  said 
the  woman.  "  You  ain't  a  fixture  so  you 
can't  get  away.  I'd  go,  fust  thing,  if  I  was 
you." 

«  Why  ?  "  said  Matilda ;  "  and  what  for 
are  you  all  going  like  this  ?  It  is  using  Mrs. 
Laval  very  badly,  I  think." 

"  Folks  must  take  care  of  their  own  flesh 
and  blood,"  said  the  woman.  "  Wages  don't 
pay  for  life,  do  they  ?  I'm  off,  as  soon  as 
I've  got  the  breakfast.  I'll  do  that,  and  give 
Mrs.  Laval  that  much  chance.  She  ain't  a 
bad  woman." 

"  Is  the  laundry  maid  going  too?  " 

"  O'  course.  She  had  her  warning,  weeks 
ago,  and  so  had  I  mine.  Mrs.  Laval  sent  for 
them  furriners  to  fill  her  house  with  them ; 
and  now  she  must  make  the  best  of  'em  she 
can.  It  ain't  my  fault  if  they're  no  use  to 
her." 

Matilda  went  upstairs  again,  pondering 
what  was  to  be  done.  She  went  softly  up  to 


3  1 8  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

Norton's  door  and  knocked.  It  was  not  easy 
to  rouse  him;  nothing  stirred;  and  Matilda 
was  afraid  of  awaking  his  mother,  whose  door 
was  not  far  off.  At  last  she  opened  Norton's 
door  a  bit  and  called  to  him. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  cried  Norton,  as  soon  as 
the  noise  found  a  way  to  his  brain.  "  Is  it 
you,  Pink?  Hold  on, —  I'll  be  there  in  less 
than  no  time !  What's  to  pay  ?  " 

Matilda  waited,  till  in  another  minute  Nor 
ton  presented  himself,  half  dressed,  and  with 
his  hair  all  shaggy,  outside  his  door. 

"  O  Norton,  can  you  be  dressed  very  quick- 
ly?" 

"Yes.  What's  the  matter?  I  am  going 
down  to  see  to  the  horses.  What  do  you 
want,  Pink  ?  " 

"  O  Norton — speak  softly!  —  everybody's 
going  away;  and  I  thought,  maybe  you 
would  come  down  and  help  me  get  things  in 
order." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Pink  ?  "  said  Norton 
opening  his  eyes  at  her. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  '319 

"  Hush !     They  are  all  going  away." 

"Who?" 

"  The  servants.  All  of  them.  Jane  is  off, 
and  the  cook  will  only  stay  till  after  breakfast. 
The  laundry  woman  is  going  too.  Francis 
is  away,  you  know,  and  York.  There  is  no 
body  but  you  and  me  in  the  house  —  to  stay. 
I  don't  know  what  has  got  into  all  their 
heads." 

"  You  and  me!"  said  Norton.  "  The  un 
conscionable  fools!  what  are  they  afraid  of?  " 

"  Afraid  of  trouble,  I  suppose,"  said  Matilda. 
"  Afraid  they  will  have  nursing  to  do.  I  don't 
know  what  else." 

"  They  ought  to  be  put  into  the  peniten 
tiary  ! " 

"  Yes,  but  Norton,  can  you  come  down 
presently  and  help  ?  " 

"  Help  what  ?  " 

"  Me.  I  want  to  s*et  the  table  for  breakfast, 
and  I  don't  know  where  things  are,  you  know. 
I  am  going  to  set  the  table,  if  you'll  shew 
me." 


320  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  should  think  you  didn't  know  where 
things  are  !  Stop  —  I'll  be  there  directly." 

Norton  disappeared,  but  Matilda  had  no 
idea  of  stopping.  She  went  downstairs  softly 
again,  and  opened  the  windows,  such  of  them 
as  she  could  manage ;  applied  to  the  powers 
below  stairs  for  broom  and  duster,  and  went 
at  her  old  work  of  putting  rooms  in  order. 
But  it  seemed  like  play  now,  and  here.  She 
was  almost  glad  the  servants  were  going 
away,  to  give  her  the  chance. 

"  Well,  you  are  a  brick ! "  was  Norton's 
remark  when  he  came  in.  "  I  suppose  you 
know  what  it  means  by  this  time  ?  " 

"  I  wish  you'd  open  those  two  windows  for 
me,  Norton ;  I  can't  undo  the  fastenings. 
Then  perhaps  you'd  be  a  brick  too  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Norton  laughing. 
«  Well  —  there,  Pink.  What  now  ?  " 

"  Shew  me,  Norton,  where  the  things  are." 

"  All  at  once,  is  rather  too  much,"  said 
Norton,  as  he  and  Matilda  went  into  York's 
pantry.  "  All  for  nothing,  too.  Nursing ! 


OPPORTUNITIES.  321 

nonsense!  they  wouldn't  have  to  nurse  those 
people.  It's  jealousy." 

"  Yes,  I  think  they  are  jealous,"  said  Ma 
tilda,  "  from  something  the  cook  said." 

Norton  stood  and  looked  on  admiringly, 
while  Matilda  found  the  tablecloth,  and  ar 
ranged  cups  and  saucers  and  plates  and 
spoons  and  mats,  and  all  the  belongings  of 
the  breakfast  table. 

"  Have  you  got  to  go  to  the  stables,  Nor 
ton  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  won't  you  go  and  get  back, 
then  ?  The  breakfast  will  be  ready,  you 
know." 

"  Forgot  all  about  that,"  said  Norton. 

While  he  was  gone,  Matilda  finished  her 
arrangements ;  and  was  watching  for  him 
from  the  verandah  when  Mrs.  Laval  came 
behind  her. 

Of  course  it  had  become  necessary  to  tell 
her  the  state  of  affairs.  Mrs.  Laval  set  down 
in  one  of  the  verandah  chairs  as  soon  as  Ma- 
21 


322  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

tilda  began  to  speak,  and  drew  the  child  to 
her  arms  ;  wrapping  them  all  round  her,  she 
sat  thoughtfully  caressing  her,  kissing  her 
brow  and  cheeks  and  lips,  and  smoothing  her 
hair,  in  a  sort  of  fond  reverie ;  so  fond,  that 
Matilda  did  not  stir  to  interrupt  her,  while  she 
was  so  thoughtful  that  Matilda  was  sure  she 
was  pondering  all  the  while  on  what  was  best 
to  do. 

"  Who  set  the  table  ?  " 

"  I  did,  ma'am.  Norton  shewed  me  where 
things  were." 

"  Mdam"  repeated  Mrs.  Laval, drawing  the 
child  closer.  "  Would  it  be  very  hard  to  call 
me  'mamma'  —  some  time — when  you 
know  me  better?  I  can't  let  you  go." 

Matilda  flushed  and  trembled;  and  then 
Norton  came  running  up  the  bank.  He 
smiled  at  the  sight  of  his  mother,  with  Ma 
tilda  in  her  arms  and  her  face  resting  upon 
Matilda's  forehead. 

"  What's  the  word  down  there  this  morn 
ing,  Norton  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES,  323 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am ;  I've  only  been  to 
see  the  horses.  They  are  well." 

"  To  the  stables,  have  you  been  ?  Then  do 
run  and  change  your  dress,  Norton." 

"  Yes,  and  breakfast's  ready,  Norton," 
Matilda  called  after  him.  She  slid  off 
Mrs.  Laval's  lap,  and  rang  for  it,  and  when 
it  came  up  on  the  dumb  waiter  she  did 
York's  work,  in  setting  it  on  the  table,  with 

• 

a  particular  pleasure.  She  began  to  have 
a  curious  feeling  of  being  at  home  in  the 
house. 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  for  me  to  do," 
said  Mrs.  Laval,  as  they  sat  at  breakfast.  "  I 
must  go  down  to  the  city  and  get  a  new 
houseful  of  servants,  to  do  till  these  are  well. 
But  I  am  in  a  great  puzzle  how  to  leave  you 
two  children.  There  will  be  nobody  here  ; 
and  I  may  very  possibly  be  obliged  to  stay  a 
night  in  town.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  I 
can  do  what  I  have  to  do,  in  time  to  take  an 
evening  train." 

"  I  can  take  care  of  Pink,  mamma.' 


324  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Who  will  take  care  of  you  ?  " 

«  I'll  try  "  —  said  Matilda. 

"  What  can  you  do,  to  take  care  of  me  ?  " 
said  Norton. 

"  You  will  want  something  to  eat,"  said 
Matilda.  "  I  think  you  will —  before  to-mor 
row  night." 

"  If  I  do,  I  can  get  it,"  said  Norton. 

"  He  thinks  dinner  grows,  like  a  cabbage," 
said  Mrs.  Laval ;  "  or  like  a  tulip,  rather. 
His  head  is  full  of  tulips.  But  I  cannot  go 
to-day  to  New  York  ;  I  could  not  catch  the 
train.  I'll  go  downstairs  and  see  these  people 
after  breakfast,  and  make  them  stay." 

But  when  Mrs.  Laval  descended  half  an 
hour  later  to  the  regions  of  the  kitchen,  she 
found  them  deserted.  Nobody  was  there. 
The  fire,  in  a  sullen  state  of  half  life,  seemed 
to  bear  witness  to  the  fact ;  the  gridiron  stood 
by  the  side  of  the  hearth  with  bits  of  fish 
sticking  to  it;  the  saucepan  which  had  held 
the  eggs  was  still  half  full  of  water  on  the 
hob ;  the  floor  was  unswept ;  the  tray  of  eggs 


OPPORTUNITIES.  325 

stood  on  one  table;  a  quantity  of  unwashed 
dishes  on  another ;  but  silence  everywhere 
announced  that  the  hands  which  should  have 
been  busy  with  all  these  matters  were  no 
longer  within  reach  of  them.  Mrs.  Laval 
went  upstairs  again. 

"  Every  creature  is  gone,"  she  said.  "  I  am 
sure  I  do  not  know  what  we  are  to  do. 
Jealousy,  Norton,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Because  you  have  sent  for  these  Swiss 
people,  mamma." 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  Well  —  I  don't  know 
what  we  are  to  do,  as  I  said.  We  shall  have 
no  dinner." 

"  I  can  get  the  dinner,"  said  Matilda.  At 
which  there  was  some  laughing ;  and  then 
Mrs.  Laval  said  she  must  go  and  see  how  the 
sick  people  were.  Norton  was  despatched  to 
find  some  oysters  if  he  could ;  and  Matilda 
quietly  went  downstairs  again,  with  her  little 
head  full.  She  was  there  still  an  hour  later, 
when  Mrs.  Laval  came  home  and  called  for  her. 
Matilda  came  running  up,  with  red  cheeks. 


326  OPPOR  TUNITIES. 

"  Ah,  there  you  are  !  What  are  you 
doing,  Matilda?  you  have  got  your  face  all 
flushed." 

"  It's  just  the  fire,"  said  Matilda. 

"  Fire  ?     What  are  you  doing,  child  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  much.  Only  trying  to  put  things 
a  little  in  order." 

"  You"  said  Mrs.  Laval.  "  Leave  that,  my 
darling.  You  cannot.  There  will  be  some 
body  to  do  it  by  and  by.  But  I  wish  I  had 
somebody  here  now,  to  make  gruel,  or  por 
ridge,  or  something,  for  those  poor  people. 
They  are  without  any  comforts." 

Mrs.  Laval  looked  puzzled. 

"  Are  they  better  ?  "  Matilda  asked. 

"  Two  of  them  are  sick  ;  indeed  they  are  all 
sick,  more  or  less ;  but  the  men  are  really  ill, 
I  think." 

"If  I  had  some  meal,  I  could  make  gruel," 
said  Matilda.     "  I  know  how.     I  have  made 
it  for  —  I  have  made  it  at  home,  often." 
.  "  Could  you  ?  "  said   Mrs.  Laval.     "  There 
must  be  some  meal  here  somewhere." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  327 

She  went  down  to  search  for  it.  But  it 
was  found  presently  that  she  did  not  know 
meal  when  she  saw  it;  and  Matilda's  help 
was  needed  to  decide  which  barrel  held  the 
article. 

"  I  am  a  useless  creature,"  Mrs.  Laval  said, 
as  she  watched  Matilda  getting  some  meal 
out.  "  If  you  can  manage  that,  darling,  1 
will  be  forever  obliged  to  you,  and  so  will 
those  poor  people.  It  is  really  good  to  know 
how  to  do  things.  Why,  what  have  you  done 
with  all  the  dishes  and  irons  that  were  stand 
ing  about  here  ?  You  have  got  the  place  in 
order,  I  declare !  What  have  you  done  with 
them,  dear?" 

"  They  are  put  away.  Shall  I  put  on  a 
pot  and  boil  some  potatoes,  Mrs.  Laval?  I 
can ;  and  there  is  a  great  piece  of  cold  beef 
in  the  pantry."  " 

"  Boil  potatoes  ?  no,  indeed  ! "  said  Mrs. 
Laval.  "  Norton  will  get  us  some  oysters, 
and  some  bread  and  some  cake  at  the  baker's. 
No,  dear,  do  not  touch  the  horrid  things ;  keep 


328  OPPORTUNITIES. 

your  hands  away  from  them.  "We'll  fast,  for 
a  day  or  two,  and  enjoy  eating  all  the  better 
afterwards." 

Matilda  made  her  gruel,  nicely ;  and  Mrs. 
Laval  carried  it  herself  down  to  the  farm 
house.  She  came  back  looking  troubled. 
They  could  not  touch  it,  she  said,  after  all ; 
not  one  of  them  but  the  young  girl ;  they 
were  really  a  sick  house  down  there ;  and  she 
would  go  to  New  York  and  get  help  to 
morrow.  So  by  the  early  morning  train  she 
went. 

It  was  rather  a  day  of  amusement  to  the 
two  children  left  alone  at  home.  They  had  a 
great  sense  of  importance  upon  them,  and 
some  sense  of  business.  Matilda  at  least 
found  a  good  deal  for  herself  to  do,  upstairs 
and  downstairs ;  then  she  and  Norton  sat 
dowrn  on  the  verandah  in  the  soft  October 
light,  and  consulted  over  all  the  details  of  the 
tulip  and  hyacinth  beds. 

"  Fifty  dollars !  "  said  Matilda  at  last 

"  Yes? "  said  Norton.     «  Well?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


329 


"Nothing.  Only — did  you  ever  think, 
Norton,  how  many  other  things  one  could  do 
with  fifty  dollars  ?  I  wonder  if  it  is  right  to 
spend  so  much  just  on  a  flower  bed?" 

"  It  isn't.  It's  on  two  flower  beds,"  said 
Norton. 

""Well,  on  two.     It  is  the  same  thing." 

"  That's  a  very  loose  way  of  talking,"  said 
Norton.  "  Two  and  one  are  not  at  all  the 
same  thing.  They  are  three." 

"  O  Norton !  but  you  are  twisting  things 
all  round,  now.  I  didn't  say  anything  ridic 
ulous." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that.  Pink,  one  would 
never  spend  money  any  way,  if  one  stopped 
because  one  could  spend  it  some  other 
way." 

"But  it  ought  to  be  always  the  best 
way." 

"You  can't  tell  what  the  best  way  is,"  said 
Norton.  "  I  can't  think  of  anything  so  good 
to  do  with  this  fifty  dollars,  as  to  make  those 
two  beds  of  bulbous  roots.," 


330  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Matilda  sat  thinking,  not  convinced,  but 
longing  very  much  to  see  the  hyacinths  and 
tulips,  when  a  voice  at  the  glass  door  behind 
her  made  her  start.  It  was  the  doctor. 

"  Good  morning.     Is  nobody  at  home  ?  " 

"  Nobody  but  us,"  said  Norton. 

"  Mrs.  Laval  gone  out,  eh  ?  " 

"  Gone  to  New  York,  sir." 

"To  New  York,  eh?  Ah!  Well!  Un 
fortunate  ! " 

"  What  shall  I  tell  her,  sir,  when  she  comes 
back  ?  " 

"  Is  there  anybody  in  the  house  that  can 
make  beef  tea  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Norton. 

"  If  you  will  tell  me  how,  Dr.  Bird,  I  will 
have  some,"  Matilda  said. 

"  You,  eh  ?  Well,  you  do  know  something 
more  than  most  girls.  You  can  remember 
and  follow  directions,  if  I  tell  you,  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     I  think  I  can." 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you.  You  take  a  piece  of 
juicy  beef — he  can  see  to  that  —  juicy  beef; 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

not  a  poor  cut,  mind,  nor  fat ;  mustn't  be  any 
fat;  and  you  cut  it  into  dice  ;  and  when  you 
have  cut  it  all  up  fine,  you  put  it  in  a  bottle 
and  cork  it  up.  Understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  But  I  don't  know  what  dice 
are." 

"  Don't,  eh  ?  well,  little  bits  as  big  as  the 
end  of  my  finger,  will  do  as  well  as  dice. 
Then  when  you  have  got  your  bottle  corked, 
set  it  in  a  pot  of  water,  and  put  the  pot  on 
the  fire,  and  let  it  boil,  till  the  juice  of  the 
beef  comes  out.  Then  strain  that  juice. 
That's  beef  tea." 

"  I  mustn't  put  any  water  in  with  the  beef, 
sir?  — in  the  bottle?" 

"  Not  a  drop.  Keep  the  water  all  in  the 
pot." 

"  "Who  is  to  have  the  beef  tea,  doctor,  when 
it  is  made?" 

"  Those  t\vo  Frenchmen  at  the  farmhouse. 
I  told  the  women.  They  ought  to  have  it 
now.  And  a  nurse  too ;  the  women  are  sick 
themselves." 


332  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Dr.  Bird  went  his  way,  and  Matilda  per 
suaded  Norton  to  go  at  once  in  quest  of 
some  juicy  beef.  It  would  be  a  difficult  job, 
he  said,  for  the  butchers'  shops  were  shut  up; 
but  he  would  go  and  try.  While  he  was 
gone,  Matilda  amused  herself  with  getting  a 
dinner  for  him  and  herself  down  in  the 
kitchen ;  and  there,  when  he  came  back,  the 
two  went,  to  eat  their  dinner  and  to  set 
the  beef  tea  a  going.  They  had  rather  a 
jolly  time  of  it,  to  tell  the  truth ;  and  were  so 
very  social  and  discussed  so  many  things 
besides  their  beef  and  bread,  that  the  beef 
tea  was  ready  to  strain  by  the  time  Matilda 
had  cleared  the  things  away.  And  then  she 
and  Norton  went  down  to  the  farmhouse  to 
carry  it. 

They  could  get  nobody  to  come  to  the 
door,  so  they  opened  it  for  themselves.  It 
was  a  sad  house  to  see.  In  two  rooms  all 
the  family  were  gathered ;  the  men  lying  on 
beds  in  the  inner  room,  one  woman  on  the 
floor  of  the  other,  and  one  on  a  cot.  All  sick. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  333 

The  girl  alone  held  her  head  up ;  and  she 
complained  it  was  hard  to  do  even  that. 
Matilda  and  Norton  went  from  one  room  to 
another.  The  men  lay  like  logs,  stupid  with 
fever ;  one  of  the  women  was  light-headed ; 
not  any  of  them  would  touch  what  Matilda 
had  brought.  The  poor  girl  who  was  still  on 
her  feet  was  crying.  There  was  no  fire,  no 
friend ;  no  comfort  or  help  of  any  sort.  Nor 
ton  and  his  little  companion  made  the  rounds 
helplessly,  and  then  went  out  to  consult  to 
gether. 

"  Norton,  they  are  dreadfully  sick,"  whis 
pered  Matilda.  "  I  know  they  are." 

"  I  guess  you  are  right,"  said  Norton.  "  But 
you  and  I  can't  do  anything." 

"  I  can,"  said  Matilda.  "  I  can  give  them 
water,  and  I  can  give  them  beef  tea.  And 
you,  Norton,  I  will  tell  you  what  you  can  do. 
Go  for  Miss  Redwood." 

"  Miss  Redwood  ?  who's  she  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  remember  ?  Mr.  Richmond's 
housekeeper.  She'll  come,  I  know." 


334  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  She  '11  be  very  good  if  she  does,"  said 
Norton.  "  But  I  '11  tell  her  you  said  so.  Do 
you  think  she  would  come  ?  " 

"  I'm  certain  of  it" 


CHAPTER    XL 

"l^TORTON  made  his  way  to  the  brown 
door  of  the  parsonage,  and  knocked 
but  the  person  that  opened  it  was  the  minis 
ter  himself.  Norton  was  a  little  confused 
now,  remembering  what  his  errand  meant 
there. 

"Norton  Laval,  isn't  it?"  said  Mr.  Rich 
mond.  "  You  are  very  welcome,  Norton,  at 
my  house.  Will  you  come  in  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.     If  you  please  "  — 

"What  is  it?  Something  you  would 
rather  say  to  me  here  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.     I  was  coming  "  — 

"To  see  me,  I  hope?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Norton,  growing  desperate 
and  colouring,  which  he  was  very  unapr,  to 
do.  "  If  you  please,  Mr.  Richmond,  I  was 


336  OPPORTUNITIES. 

sent  to  speak  to  —  I  forget  what  her  name  is 
—  the  woman  who  lives  here." 

"  Miss  Redwood  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Who  sent  you  ?  " 

"  Matilda  Englefield." 

"  Did  she !  Pray  why  did  not  Matilda 
come  with  you  ?  " 

"  She  could  not,  sir ;  she  was  very  busy. 
She  asked  me  to  come." 

"  You  can  see  Miss  Redwood,"  said  Mr. 
Richmond  smiling.  "  I  believe  she  is  always 
ready  to  receive  visiters ;  at  least  I  never  saw 
a  time  when  she  was  not.  You  have  only  to 
walk  right  in  and  knock  at  her  door  there. 
When  are  you  coming  to  see  me,  Norton? 
You  and  I  ought  to  be  better  friends." 

"I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  Norton.  "I 
would  not  intrude." 

"  Ask  your  friend  Matilda  if  I  do  not  like 
such  intrusions.  I  shall  have  to  invite  you 
specially,  I  see.  Well,  go  in  and  find  Miss 
Redwood.  I  will  not  detain  you  now." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  337 

Norton  went  in,  glad  to  be  released,  for  he 
did  not  exactly  want  to  tell  his  errand  to  the 
minister;  knocked  at  the  kitchen  door  and 
was  bade  to  enter.  It  was  full,  the  kitchen 
was,  of  the  sweet  smell  of  baking  bread ;  and 
Miss  Redwood  was  busily  peering  into  her 
stove  oven. 

"  Who's  there  ? "  she  asked,  too  much 
engaged  in  turning  her  loaves  to  give  her 
eyes  to  anything  else,  even  a  visiter.  Norton 
told  his  name,  and  waited  till  the  oven  doors 
shut  to  with  a  clang;  and  then  Miss  Red 
wood,  very  pink  in  the  face,  rose  up  to  look 
at  him. 

"  I've  seen  you  before,"  was  her  remark. 

"  Yes.  I  brought  Matilda  Englefield  here 
one  day,"  Norton  answered. 

"  Hm.  I  thought  she  brought  you.  What 
brings  you  now?" 

"  Matilda  wanted  me  to  come  with  a  mes 
sage  to  you." 

"  Well  you  can  sit  down  and  tell  it,  if 
you're  a  mind  to.  Why  didn't  the  child 
22 


338  OPPORTUNITIES. 

come  herself?  that's  the  first  idee  that  comes 
to  me." 

"  She  is  busy  trying  to  nurse  some  sick 
folks,  and  they  are  more  than  she  can  man 
age  ;  and  she  wants  your  help.  At  least  she 
sent  me  to  ask  you  if  you  wouldn't  come." 

"Who's  sick?" 

"  Some  people  just  come  from  Switzerland 
to  be  my  mother's  servants." 

"  Switzerland,"  repeated  Miss  Redwood. 
"  I  have  heard  o'  Switzerland,  more  than 
once  in  my  life.  I  should  like  to  know 
whereabouts  it  is.  I  never  knew  any  one 
yet  that  could  tell  me." 

"  Mr.  Richmond  knows,  I  suppose,"  said 
Norton. 

"  I  suppose  he  knows  Greek,"  said  Miss 
Redwood,  "  and  ever  so  many  other  queer 
tongues  too,  I've  no  doubt ;  but  I  should  like 
to  see  myself  askin'  him  to  learn  me.  No,  1 
mean,  as  I  never  knew  nobody  that  I'd  ask. 
La!  there's  folks  enough  that  knows.  Only  I 
never  had  no  chances  for  them  things." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  339 

"  I  could  shew  you  where  Switzerland  is, 
if  you  had  a  map,"  said  Norton. 

"  I  guess  I  know  as  much  as  that  myself," 
said  the  housekeeper  quietly,  opening  the 
stove  door  again  for  a  peep  at  the  oven. 
"  But  what  does  that  tell  me  ?  I  see  a  little 
spot  o'  paper  painted  green,  and  a  big  spot 
along  side  of  it  painted  some  other  colour ; 
and  the  map  is  all  spots;  and  somebody  tells 
me  that  little  green  spot  is  Switzerland.  And 
I  should  like  to  know,  how  much  wiser  am  I 
for  that?  That's  paper  and  green  paint; 
but  what  I  want  to  know  is,  where  is  the 
place  ?  " 

"  It's  hard  to  tell,"  said  Norton,  so  much 
amused  that  he  forgot  his  commission. 

"  Well,  these  folks  come  from  Switzerland, 
you  say.  How  did  they  corne  ?  " 

"  They  came  in  a  ship  —  part  of  the  way." 

"  How  fur  in  a  ship  ?  " 

"  Three  thousand  miles." 

"  Three  thousand,"  repeated  Miss  Red 
wood.  "  When  you  get  up  there,  I  don't 


840  OPPORTUNITIES. 

know  what  miles  mean,  no  more  than  if  you 
spoke  another  language.  I  understand  a 
hundred  miles.  It's  nigh  that  to  New  York." 

"  They  came  that  hundred  miles,  over  and 
above,"  said  Norton. 

"  Well,  how  long  now,  does  it  take  a  ship 
to  go  that  fur  ?  Three  thousand  miles." 

"  It  depends  on  how  fast  the  wind  blows." 

"  The  wind  goes  awful  fast  sometimes," 
said  Miss  Redwood.  "  When  it  goes  at  that 
rate  as  will  carry  a  chimney  off  a  house,  and 
pick  up  a  tree  by  the  roots  as  I  would  a  baby 
under  my  arm,  seems  to  me  a  ship  would 
travel  at  a  powerful  speed." 

"  It  would  certainly,  if  there  was  nothing  to 
hinder,"  said  Norton ;  "  but  at  those  times, 
you  see,  the  wind  picks  up  the  water,  and 
sends  such  huge  waves  rolling  about  that  it 
is  not  very  safe  to  be  where  they  can  give  you 
a  slap.  Ships  don't  get  along  best  at  such 
times." 

"  Well,  I'm  thankful  I'm  not  a  sailor,"  said 
Miss  Redwood.  "I'd  rather  stay  home  and 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  341 

know  less.  How  many  o'  these  folks  o'  yourn 
is  sick  ?  " 

"  All  of  them,  pretty  much,"  said  Norton. 
"  Two  men  and  two  women." 

"  Fever  nagur?" 

"  No,  'tisn't  that.  I  don't  know  what  it  is. 
The  doctor  is  attending  them.  He  ordered 
beef  tea  to-day ;  and  Matilda  made  some ; 
but  they  seem  too  sick  to  take  it  now  they've 
got  it." 

Miss  Redwood  dropped  her  towel,  with 
which  she  was  just  going  to  open  the  oven 
again,  and  stood  upright. 

"  Beef  tea  ?  "  she  echoed.  "  How  long 
have  these  folks  been  sick  ? " 

"Ever  since  they  came  ashore  almost. 
They  came  straight  up  here,  and  began  to  be 
ill  immediately.  That  was  a  few  days  ago  ; 
not  a  week." 

"  Beef  tea ! "  said  Miss  Redwood  again. 
"  And  just  come  to  shore.  How  do  they 
look?  Did  you  see  them?" 

"  Yes,  I  saw  them,"  said  Norton.     "  I  went 


342  OPPORTUNITIES. 

with  Matilda  when  she  took  the  beef  tea  to 
them.  How  did  they  look  ?  I  can't  tell ;  they 
looked  bad.  The  men  were  mahogany  col 
our  ;  and  one  of  the  women  was  out  of  her 
head,  I  think." 

"  And  you  two  children  going  to  see  them !  " 
exclaimed  Miss  Redwood,  in  a  tone  that 
savoured  of  strong  disapprobation,  not  to  say 
dismay. 

"  Because  there  was  no  one  else,"  said  Nor 
ton.  "  Mamma  has  gone  to  New  York  to 
get  more  people  ;  for  all  ours  went  off  when 
they  knew  of  the  sickness  at  the  farmhouse." 

"  Why  ?  "  said  Miss  Redwood  sharply. 

"I  don't  know.  I  suppose  they  were  jeal 
ous  of  these  strangers." 

"  Hm,"  said  Miss  Redwood,  beginning 
now  to  take  her  bread  out  of  the  oven  with  a 
very  hurried  hand  ;  "  there's  jealousy  enough 
in  the  world,  no  doubt,  and  unreason  enough ; 
but  it  don't  usually  come  like  an  epidemic 
neither.  You  go  home,  and  tell  Matilda  I'm 
a  comin'  as  fast  as  ever  I  kin  get  my  chores 


OPPORTUNITIES.  343 

done  and  my  hood  and  shawl  on.  And  you 
tell  her  —  will  she  do  what  you  tell  her  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Norton.  u  What  is 
it?" 

"  Where  is  it  these  folks  are  sick  ?  Not  to 
your  house  ?  " 

"  O  no.  Down  at  the  farmhouse  —  you 
know  our  farmhouse  —  under  the  bank." 

"  Did  you  leave  the  child  there  ?  " 

"  She  was  there  when  I  came  away." 

"  Well,  you  run  home  as  fast  as  your  legs 
can  carry  you  and  fetch  her  out  of  that. 
Bring  her  home,  and  don't  you  nor  she  go 
down  there  again.  Maybe  it's  no  harm,  but 
it's  safe  to  do  as  I  tell  you.  Now  go,  and 
I'll  come.  Don't  let  the  grass  grow  under 
your  feet." 

Norton  was  not  used  to  be  ordered  about 
quite  so  decidedly ;  it  struck  him  as  an  amus 
ing  variety  in  his  life.  However  he  divined 
that  Miss  Redwood  might  have  some  deep 
reason  for  being  so  energetic,  and  he  was  not 
slow  in  getting  back  to  Briery  Bank ;  so  his 


344  OPPORTUNITIES. 

mothers  place  was  called.  The  house  was 
shut  up,  as  he  and  Matilda  had  left  it ;  and 
he  went  on  down  to  the  home  of  the  sick 
people.  There  he  found  Matilda  as  he  had 
left  her.  Norton  only  put  his  head  into  the 
sick  room  and  called  her  out. 

"  Miss  Redwood  is  coming,"  he  said. 

"  I'm  so  glad !  I  knew  she  would,"  said 
Matilda.  "  She  will  know  what  to  do.  They 
all  seem  stupid,  Norton,  except  the  woman 
who  is  out  of  her  head." 

"  Yes,  she  will  know  what  to  do,"  said 
Norton  ;  "  and  you  had  better  come  away  now. 
You  don't." 

"  I  can  do  something,  though,"  said  Ma 
tilda.  "  I  can  give  the  medicine  and  the 
beef  tea.  Why  there  was  nobody  even  to 
give  the  medicine,  Norton.  I  found  it  here 
with  the  doctor's  directions ;  and  nobody  had 
taken  it  till  I  came ;  not  one  of  these  sick 
people.  But  oh,  the  rooms  are  so  disagreea 
ble,  with  so  many  sick  people  in  them !  you 
can't  think." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  345 

"  I  can,  for  I've  been  in  them,"  said  Nor 
ton.  "  And  once  is  enough.  They  have  got 
the  medicine  now,  Pink;  you  needn't  stay 
any  longer." 

"  O  yes,  but  I  must.  I  must  till  Miss  Red 
wood  comes.  The  medicine,  will  have  to  be 
taken  again  in  a  little  while." 

"  It  can  wait  till  she  gets  here.  You  come 
away,  Pink.  Miss  Redwood  said  you 
should." 

"  She  didn't  know  what  there  was  for  me 
to  do,  or  she  wouldn't  have  said  it.  I  can't 
go,  Norton." 

"  But  you  must,  Pink.  She  said  so.  Sup 
pose  these  people  should  be  sick  with  some 
thing  dreadful?  you  can't  tell." 

"  I  am  sure  they  would  want  a  nurse 
then." 

•'  But  you  might  get  sick,  you  know." 

«  Well,  Norton,  I'm  not  afraid." 

"  You  might  get  sick,  all  the  same,  if 
you're  not  afraid,"  said  Norton  impatiently. 
"  Come,  Pink,  you  must  come." 


346  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  can't,  Norton.  I  must  go  in  and  give 
them  some  more  beef  tea,  now  in  a  minute. 
They  can't  take  but  ever  so  little  at  a  time. 
It  would  be  very  wrong  to  leave  them  as  they 
are." 

"  You  might  get  sick,  and  die,"  said  Nor 
ton. 

"  Well,  Norton,"  said  Matilda  slowly,  "'I 
don't  think  I  am  afraid  of  that.  I  belong  to 
Jesus.  He  will  take  care  of  me." 

"  I  don't  think  you  know  what  you  are 
talking  of !  "  said  Norton,  very  impatient  and 
very  much  at  a  loss  how  to  manage  Matilda. 

"  O  yes,  I  do  !  "  she  said  smiling.  "  Now 
I  must  go  in.  You  needn't  come,  for  there 
wouldn't  be  anything  for  you  to  do." 

Matilda  disappeared  ;  and  Norton,  wishing 
very  much  that  he  could  lay  hold  of  her  and 
carry  her  away  by  force,  did  not  however  feel 
that  it  would  exactly  do.  He  sat  down  on 
the  door  stone  of  the  house,  he  would  not  go 
further,  and  waited.  There  was  a  delicious 
calm  sunlight  over  all  the  world  that  October 


OPPORTUNITIES.  347 

afternoon  ;  it  puzzled  Norton  how  there  could 
be  a  sick  house  anywhere  under  such  a  sky. 
He  heard  th'e  ponies  stamping  their  idle  hoofs 
against  the  barn  floor ;  they  were  spoiling  for 
exercise ;  why  were  he  and  Matilda  not  out 
driving,  instead  of  having  this  state  of  things  ? 
Then  some  gayly  disposed  crows  went  flying 
overhead,  calling  a  cheery  reminder  to  each 
other  as  they  went  along;  they  were  having 
a  good  time.  Norton  chafed  against  the  bar 
riers  that  hindered  him.  Suddenly  a  swift 
footstep  came  over  the  grass,  and  Mr.  Rich 
mond  stood  before  him. 

"  Is  this  the  house  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Is  Ma 
tilda  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  I've  tried  to  get  her  out, 
and  I  can't." 

Mr.  Richmond  went  in,  without  more 
words.  A  moment  after,  Matilda  opened  the 
door  he  had  shut. 

"  Well!  will  you  go  now?  "  said  Norton. 

"  I  must.  Mr.  Richmond  will  not  let  me 
stay." 


348  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Mr.  Richmond  himself  came  again  to  the 
door. 

"  Norton,"  said  he,  "  I  am  going  to  ask  you 
to  take  Matilda  to  the  parsonage.  The  best 
thing  will  be  for  you  and  her  to  make  your 
home  there,  until  Mrs.  Laval  gives  further 
orders.  You  will  both  be  heartily  welcome. 
Will  you  take  her  there  and  take  care  of  her 
until  I  come  home  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Norton,  "  it  is  not 
necessary  "  — 

"  You  must  let  my  word  go  for  that,"  said 
the  minister  smiling.  "  If  not  necessary,  I 
think  it  prudent.  I  wish  it;  and  I  invite 
both  of  you.  It  would  be  treating  me  very 
ill  to  refuse  me,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  not 
do  that.  I  trust  you  to  take  care  of  Matilda 
until  I  get  home.  The  house  will  be  quite 
alone  when  Miss  Redwood  leaves  it.  Is  any 
body  in  the  house  on  the  bank?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  nobody." 

"  I  will  lock  it  up,  then,  and  bring  the 
key.  Go  in  and  put  up  anything  you  will 


OPPORTUNITIES. 


349 


want  for  a  day  or  two,  and  I  will  send  it  after 
you." 

With  a  nod  and  a  smile  at  them,  Mr.  Rich 
mond  went  in  again.  The  two  children 
looked  at  each  other,  and  then  began  to 
mount  the  bank. 

"  You  do  what  Mr.  Richmond  tells  you," 
remarked  Norton. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Matilda.     "  So  do  you." 

"  It  wouldn't  be  civil  to  do  anything  else," 
said  Norton.  "  But  isn't  it  jolly,  that  you 
and  I  should  go  to  make  a  visit  at  the 
parsonage!  What  is  a  parsonage  like?  It 
isn't  like  other  houses,  I  suppose." 

"  Why  yes,  it  is,"  said  Matilda ;  "just  like; 
only  a  minister  lives  in  it." 

"  That  makes  the  difference,"  said  Norton. 
"  Don't  you  feel  as  if  you  were  in  church  all 
the  time  ?  I  shall,  I  know." 

"  Why  no,  Norton !  what  an  idea.  Mr. 
Richmond's  house  is  not  like  a  church." 

".  Isn't  he  like  a  minister  ?  " 

"  Why  yes,  of  course ! "  said  Matilda  with 


350  OPPORTUNITIES. 

some  indignation.  "  He  isn't  like  your  min 
ister,  Norton." 

"Why  ?  "  said  Norton  laughing. 

"  I  don't  know.  He  isn't  stiff.  He  don't 
dress  unlike  other  people.  He  is  just  as 
pleasant  as  anybody  else  can  be ;  and  a  great 
deal  pleasanter,  I  think." 

"  What  you  call  good  people,  generally  are 
stiff,"  said  Norton. 

"  O  no,  Norton,  they  are  not.  What  makes 
you  think  so  ?  " 

"  You  were  very  stiff  just  now,"  said  Nor 
ton. 

"  O,  do  you  mean  that  sort  of  stiffness  ? 
But  Norton,  I  thought  there  was  something 
I  could  do  there,  you  know,  and  I  didn't  think 
I  ought  to  come  away." 

Getting  to  the  top  of  the  bank  broke  off 
the  discussion.  Matilda  and  Norton  each  had 
things  to  get  together  to  go  to  the  parsonage ; 
and  it  was  necessary  to  change  their  dress. 
The  sun  was  well  on  his  westing  way  when 
they  left  the  iron  gate  of  Briery  Bank,  bag  in 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  351 

hand  ;  and  in  the  little  lane  of  the  parsonage 
the  elm  trees  cast  broad  and  long  shadows. 
As  they  came  up  on  the  piazza,  Miss  Red 
wood  opened  the  door.  Her  hood  and  shawl 
were  on,  and  she  had  a  basket  in  her  hand. 
She  stopped  suddenly. 

"  What  is  it  now  ?  "  she  said.  "  What's 
wanting  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Matilda;  "  only  Mr.  Rich 
mond  has  sent  us  here." 

"  He  has !  "  said  the  housekeeper.  "  You've 
come  to  stop  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Richmond  says  so.     He  wished  it." 

«  Well,  what  '11  you  do  ?  "  said  Miss  Red 
wood  coming  to  a  sort  of  pause.  "  There 
ain't  a  living  soul  in  the  house,  and  there 
won't  be;  'cept  the  minister  himself;  and 
how  he'll  get  along  I  don't  know.  I  can't  be 
in  two  places  at  once." 

"  Can't  I  get  the  tea,  Miss  Redwood?" 

"  La,  I  don't  know  but  what  you  kin. 
Come  along  in,  and  let  me  tell  you.  There's 
bread  all  baked,  this  afternoon  —  it  ain't  cold 


352  OPPORTUNITIES. 

yet  —  enough  to  last  a  siege ;  it's  in  that 
pantry,  Matilda,  in  the  bread  box.  You  know 
there's  all  the  cups  and  saucers  and  tea  things, 
for  you've  seen  me  get  'em  out ;  and  the  tea 
canister;  and  the  sugar.  And  the  milk  is 
down  cellar,  in  a  pan,  and  there's  cream  onto 
it.  Can  you  skim  it  off  and  keep  it  cream 
yet,  for  the  minister's  tea?" 

"  O  yes ;  I  can  do  that,  Miss  Redwood." 
"  Then  you'll  get  along  for  to-night;  and 
I'll  try  and  be  round  in  the  morning,  if  I  kin. 
But  you'll  want  sheets — There's  the  bed  in 
the  spare  room  off  the  hall ;  that's  all  ready 
for  one  of  ye ;  I  got  it  fixed  up  Saturday  for 
somebody  that  never  come;  'tain't  everybody 
as  sticks  to  his  word  like  the  minister.  La,  I 
get  weary  with  the  folks  that  are  like  Job's 
brooks ;  they  say  and  don't  do ;  and  when 
you  expect  'em  they  ain't  there.  I  was  put 
out,  o'  Saturday,  when  I  found  out  that  was 
how  it  was  with  this  man  ;  but  there's  good 
in  everything,  if  you  can  keep  your  patience ; 
now  the  room's  ready,  and  it  wouldn't  ha' 


OPPORTUNITIES.  353 

been  ready ;  for  I  had  a  lot  o'  apples  there 
dryin',  and  a  board  full  o'  fresh  turnpikes  was 
on  the  bed  ;  they  was  gettin'  finished ;  and  I 
had  a  quilt  in  a  corner  that  I  had  sot  up  on 
the  sticks  and  it  was  a'rnost  done  quiltin' ; 
and  all  them  things  I  had  to  fly  round  and 
get  rid  of;  and  I've  no  time  for  anything  now. 
So  dear,  that  room  '11  do  for  one  of  ye ;  and 
the  other  —  you  can  put  the  sheets  on  the 
bed,  can't  ye  ?  for  the  minister  '11  be  playin' 
nurse  till  I  come,  and  I  wish  I  had  Jack's 
seven-mile  boots  to  get  to  Briery  Bank  with." 

While  this  talk  was  going  on,  Miss  Red 
wood  had  brought  Matilda  upstairs,  and  was 
taking  out  linen  and  coverlets  from  a  press 
in  one  of  the  rooms.  Matilda  said  she  could 
manage  everything,  with  Norton's  help. 

"  Then  I'll  go,"  said  Miss  Redwood.  "  But 
if  I  shouldn't  be  able  fur  to  run  away  in  the 
morning  and  see  to  the  breakfast!"  — 

She  stopped,  thinking. 

"  Dear  Miss  Redwood,  won't  you  trust  me 
to  do  it  ?  I  think  I  can." 

23 


354  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  What  sort  of  a  breakfast  will  it  be  ?  "  said 
the  housekeeper  meditatively. 

"  I'll  try  to  have  it  right." 

"  La,  yes,  if  it  depended  on  your  tryin'," 
said  the  housekeeper ;  "  your  will  is  as  good 
as  gold  ;  but  will  won't  cook  a  beefsteak." 

"  I'll  try,"  said  Matilda  again. 

"  Well,"  said  Miss  Redwood,  "  we  must 
walk  till  we  get  out  o'  the  woods,  and  then 
we'll  run.  The  minister  ain't  accustomed  to 
have  his  steak  any  way  but  as  he  likes  it ; 
maybe  it'll  do  him  no  harm.  Everything's 
down  cellar,  Matilda,  'cept  the  things  in  the 
kitchen  pantry ;  and  you'll  find  out  which  is 
which.  And  I'll  go." 

So  she  did.  And  as  the  door  closed  after 
her,  the  two  children  in  the  hall  looked  at 
each  other. 

"  Nobody  in  the  house  ?  "  said  Norton. 

"  Nobody  but  ourselves." 

« That's  jolly,"  said  Norton.  "  Pink,  I 
have  got  that  catalogue  in  my  pocket ;  let  us 
sit  down  somewhere  and  make  out  a  list  of 
those  hyacinths." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  355 

"  O  Norton  !  —  Yes,  I  will  in  a  little  while. 
I  must  go  get  the  table  ready  for  tea ;  and  I 
had  better  do  it  now  before  Mr.  Richmond 
comes  home." 

"  You  and  I  seem  to  have  a  great  deal  of 
getting  tea  to  do,"  said  Norton,  as  he  followed 
Matilda  into  the  little  dining  room.  "  What 
do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  O  Norton !  —  if  you  would  just  look  and 
see  if  the  tea-kettle  is  on,  and  if  not,  put  it  on. 
Will  you  ?  " 

«  Where,  Pink  ?  " 

"  Just  open  that  door.  There  is  the 
kitchen." 

"  I  remember,"  said  Norton.  "  No,  the  ket 
tle  isn't  on.  Here  goes." 

There  was  a  little  busy,  pleasant  bustle, 
for  a  time ;  and  then  Matilda  with  Norton's 
help  had  got  everything  in  order  for  the 
evening  meal.  The  sun  was  near  setting, 
and  threw  bright  lines  of  light  in  at  the  two 
little  west  windows,  filling  the  small  dining 
room  with  pure  gold ;  then  it  went  down,  and 


356  OPPORTUNITIES. 

the  gold  was  gone,  and  only  in  the  low  west 
ern  sky  the  brightness  remained. 

"  It's  time  for  the  minister  to  be  at  home," 
Norton  said. 

"  He  has  a  great  deal  to  do,"  Matilda  an 
swered. 

"  What  ?  "  said  Norton.  "  I  always  thought 
the  parsons  had  an  easy  time  of  it.  I  could 
write  two  themes  a  week,  I  think,  if  I  tried 
hard." 

"  Norton  ! "  Matilda  exclaimed,  "  it  isn't 
that;  and  Mr.  Richmond  doesn't  write 
themes,  as  you  call  it,  to  begin  with." 

"  That  must  be  harder  then,"  said  Norton  ; 
"  to  stand  up  and  speak  to  people  without 
anything  to  say." 

"  Why  he  doesn't ! "  said  Matilda.  "  Mr. 
Richmond  always  has  plenty  to  say.  I  sup 
pose  he  could  talk  all  day,  if  he  didn't  get 
tired." 

"  I  mean  preaching,"  said  Norton. 

"  Yes,  and  I  mean  preaching,"  said  Ma 
tilda. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  357 

"  Where  is  it  to  come  from  ? "  said  the 
ooy,  pursing  his  lips  ready  for  a  whistle. 

"  Why,  out  of  his  head,  and  out  of  his 
heart,"  said  Matilda.  "  Where  should  it 
come  from  ?  " 

"  I  say,  Pink,"  said  Norton,  "  it's  very  funny 
for  rne  to  be  here.  I  don't  think  I  can  stand 
it  long." 

"Stand  what?" 

"  This.  Being  at  the  parsonage,  and  get 
ting  talked  to.  I  suppose  I  shall." 

"  Norton,"  said  Matilda  confidently,  "  you'll 
like  it.  It's  just  nice." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  Norton. 
"  It  feels  queer.  I  believe  I  am  afraid." 

Matilda  laughed  at  his  very  un-fear-like 
face ;  and  then  the  front  door  opened  and 
shut.  Mr.  Richmond  had  come. 

It  was  a  jolly  tea  they  had,  Norton  con 
fessed  afterwards.  Mr.  Richmond  went  rum 
maging  among  Miss  Redwood's  stores  and 
brought  out  a  jar  of  sweetmeats ;  in  honour, 
he  said,  of  his  guests.  The  sweetmeats  were 


35  8  OPPORTUNITIES. 

good,  and  so  was  Miss  Redwood's  fresh  bread. 
And  there  was  indeed  plenty  of  talk  at  the 
table;  but  it  was  not  in  the  least  like  preach 
ing.  From  the  sick  Swiss,  and  their  voyage, 
Mr.  Richmond  and  Norton  somehow  got 
upon  the  subject  of  navigation,  and  commerce, 
with  ships  ancient  and  modern,  and  a  little 
touch  here  and  there  shewing  how  much  these 
things  have  had  to  do  with  the  history  of  the 
world  and  the  life  of  nations.  Mr.  Richmond 
and  Norton  talked  and  talked  ;  and  Matilda 
listened,  and  made  the  tea,  and  enjoyed  it  all 
very  much,  seeing  too  what  a  good  time  Nor 
ton  was  having. 

After  tea,  they  removed  into  the  study. 
Mr.  Richmond  asked  them  to  come  there,  say 
ing  he  was  going  to  play  this  evening.  He 
built  up  a  beautiful  fire,  and  gave  Norton  a 
book  to  look  at;  while  he  himself  sat  for 
awhile  quite  silent,  looking  into  the  blaze,  and 
only  moving  now  and  then  to  take  care  that 
it  was  kept  up.  So  Matilda  found  the  two, 
when  she  had  put  the  tea  things  away  and 


OPPORTUNITIES.  359 

followed  them  to  the  study.  The  red  curtains 
were  drawn  across  the  windows,  the  red  light 
of  the  fire  leaped  and  shone  all  through  the 
room  ;  in  the  glow  of  it  Norton  sat  brooding 
over  his  book,  and  before  it  Mr.  Richmond 
sat  thinking.  But  he  held  out  his  hand  as 
Matilda  came  in,  and  asked  if  his  little  house 
keeper  had  got  all  things  straight.  Matilda 
came  to  his  outstretched  hand,  which  drew 
her  to  his  side ;  and  the  room  was  still  again. 
Matilda  stood  motionless.  By  and  by  Nor 
ton  glanced  up  at  her  from  his  book,  and 
covertly  smiled.  It  started  Matilda's  thoughts. 

"  Are  you  not  going  to  be  busy,  Mr.  Rich 
mond  ?  "  she  ventured  gently. 

"  Not  doing  anything  at  all,"  said  Mr.  Rich 
mond  rousing  himself.  "  I  have  been  busy 
all  day,  Matilda.  I  arn  going  to  do  nothing 
to-night.  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Will  it  be  doing  anything,  to  talk  to  Nor 
ton  and  me  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say,"  Mr.  Richmond  replied,  laugh 
ing  a  little.  "  Perhaps  you  will  find  me  work 


360  OPPORTUNITIES. 

to  do,  but  I'll  risk  it.  What  do  you  want  to 
talk  about  ?  " 

"  There  was  a  question  —  Norton  and  I 
could  not  tell  what  the  answer  ought  to  be. 
I  believe  he  thought  one  way,  and  I  thought 
another." 

"  What  was  the  question  ?  "  said  Mr.  Rich 
mond  ;  while  Norton's  face  looked  up  from 
his  book,  bright  with  the  same  query. 

"  We  were  talking  —  it  was  about  oppor 
tunities,  you  know,  Mr.  Richmond;  the 
opportunities  that  having  money  gives  people; 
and  we  couldn't  tell,  Norton  and  I,  how  far 
one  ought  to  go.  Norton  said  people  must 
stop  somewhere ;  and  I  suppose  they  must. 
Where  ought  they  to  stop  ?  " 

Matilda's  face  looked  very  earnest.  Nor 
ton's,  comical. 

"  Where  ought  they  to  stop  in  giving  money, 
you  mean  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  For  doing  good,  you  know, 
and  making  other  people  comfortable." 

"  Tt  is  rather  a  large  question.     Were  you 


OPPOR  TUNITIES.  361 

afraid  of  giving  too  much,  or  of  giving  too 
little?" 

"  I  think  one  of  us  was  afraid  of  giving  too 
much,  and  the  other  of  giving  too  little." 

"  The  best  way  is  to  go  to  the  Bible  and 
see  what  that  says.  May  I  trouble  one  of 
you  to  open  it  at  the  second  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  and  read  what  you  find  in  the 
seventh  verse  of  the  ninth  chapter  ?  " 

Norton  dropped  his  book  and  sprang  to 
do  the  service  asked  for.  He  read  the 
words,  — 

'"  Every  man  according  as  he  purposeth  in 
his  heart,  so  let  him  give ;  not  grudgingly,  or 
of  necessity :  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful 
giver.' " 

Norton  read,  and  looked  up,  as  much  as  to 
say,  What  now  ?  how  does  this  help  ? 

"  I  don't  see  how  that  tells,  Mr.  Richmond," 
said  Matilda. 

"  It  tells  one  or  two  things.  You  are  to 
give  out  of  your  heart ;  not  because  somebody 
else  asks  you,  or  some  other  body  says  you 


362  OPPORTUNITIES. 

ought.  That  would  not  please  God.  You 
are  to  do  what  you  like  to  do  ;  much  or  little, 
as  you  feel." 

"  But  ought  it  to  be  much  or  little  ?  " 
"  As  you  feel.     As  your  heart  says." 
"  Bat  then,  Mr.  Richmond,  will  the  Lord  be 
just  as  well  pleased   whether  it  is  much  or 
little  ?  " 

"  Norton  will  please  read  the  sixth  verse." 
" '  But  this   I  say,   He  which   soweth   spar 
ingly  shall  reap  also  sparingly ;  and  he  which 
soweth    bountifully    shall    reap    also    bounti 
fully.'  " 

"  But  that  don't  tell  either,"  said  Norton, 
when  he  had  read. 

"  I  think  it  does,"  said  Matilda  slowly.  "  It 
tells  one  thing.  Mr.  Richmond,  it  doesn't  tell 
how  much  one  ought  to  like  to  give.  That 
was  the  very  question  between  Norton  and 
me ;  and  we  could  not  settle  it." 

"  Don't  you  see,  Matilda,  that  everybody's 
heart  would  give  its  own  answer  to  that 
question  ?  " 


OPPORTUNITIES.  363 

"  But  Mr.  Richmond,  surely  there  is  a  right 
and  a  wrong  answer  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid,  a  good  many  wrong  an 
swers,"  said  Mr.  Richmond. 

Norton  looked  as  if  he  would  like  to  say 
something,  but  modestly  kept  back  before  the 
minister.  Mr.  Richmond  caught  the  look. 

"Speak  out,  Norton,"  said  he  smiling. 
"  Truth  will  always  bear  to  be  looked  at." 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  it,  sir,"  said 
Norton.  "  Only  it  seems  to  rne,  that  if  one 
begins  to  help  other  people  all  one  can,  one 
will  soon  want  helping  himself." 

"Ah!"  said  Mr.  Richmond.  "Read  the 
next  verse  now." 

"  The  next  to  the  seventh,  sir  ?  — '  And 
God  is  able  to  make  all  grace  abound  toward 
you;  that  ye,  always  having  all  sufficiency 
in  all  things,  may  abound  to  every  good 
work.'" 

"  That  does  not  sound  as  if  Matilda  were 
in  any  danger  of  growing  poor  through  help 
ing  Mrs.  Eldridge,  —  does  it  ?  " 


364  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  But  sir !  "  said  Norton,  —  "  the  more  one 
gives  away,  the  less  one  has  for  oneself?  " 

"  It  does  not  always  work  so,"  said  Mr. 
Richmond.  "  The  Bible  says,  '  There  is  that 
scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth.'  ' 

Norton  did  not  know  exactly  how  to  fight 
for  his  opinions,  and  so  was  silent,  like  a  well- 
bred  boy  as  he  was ;  but  Matilda's  feeling 
was  different. 

"  I  understand,"  she  said  ;  "  at  least  I  think 
I  do ;  but  Mr.  Richmond,  this  does  not  get 
Norton  and  me  out  of  our  puzzle.  You  don't 
mean,  that  people  ought  to  keep  nothing  for 
themselves  ?  " 

"  '  Every  man  according  as  he  purposeth  in 
his  heart,'  "  Mr.  Richmond  repeated.  "  That 
is  the  order.  There  have  been  people,  Ma 
tilda,  who  have  given  their  all  for  the  sake  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  kept,  as  you  say,  nothing 
for  themselves.  It  was  in  their  heart.  I  can 
not  blame  them,  for  one.  He  did  not." 

"  But  ought  every  one  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  Matilda,  I  dare  not  set  any  rule  but  the 


OPPORTUNITIES.  365 

rule  my  Master  has  set.  Tie  said,  — '  He  that 
forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be 
my  disciple.'  " 

"  People  don't  do  that,  sir,"  said  Norton 
eagerly. 

"  Ought  they  to  do  it,  sir?"  said  Matilda 
timidly.  "  To  give  away  all  they  have  got  ?  " 

"  He  did  not  say, '  give  away,'  but '  forsake.' 
The  word  means  literally  '  to  take  leave  of.' 
They  give  up  thinking  that  what  they  have  is 
their  own  ;  and  from  that  time  stand  ready  to 
give  it  away  entirely,  if  the  Master  says  so." 

"  Is  that  religion,  sir  ?  "  Norton  asked. 

"  But,  Mr.  Richmond,"  Matilda  said  in 
another  tone,  "  that  is  the  very  thing.  How 
are  they  to  know  when  he  does  tell  them  to 
give  these  thing?  away  ?  " 

"  We  are  coming  to  it  now,"  said  Mr.  Rich 
mond.  "  You  want -to  know  what  religion  is, 
Norton.  Please  turn  to  the  fifth  chapter  of 
that  same  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  and  read 
aloud  the  —  let  me  see,  —  I  think  it  is  the 
fourteenth  and  fifteenth  verses." 


366  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Norton  obeyed. 

" '  For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us  ; 
because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for 
all,  then  were  all  dead :  and  that  he  died  for 
all,  that  they  which  live  should  not  henceforth 
live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  which 
died  for  them  and  rose  again.'  " 

"  That  is  your  answer,"  said  Mr.  Richmond  ; 
"  that  is  religion.  Now  for  Matilda's  answer 
—  Norton,  turn  to  the  epistle  to  the  Colos- 
sians,  and  the  third  chapter,  and  read  the 
seventeenth  verse." 

'  "  '  And  whatsoever  ye  do,  in  word  or  deed, 
do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving 
thanks  to  God  and  the  Father,  by  him.' " 

"  There  is  your  rule,  Matilda.  It  is  carry 
ing  out  the  former  words.  You  have  only  to 
apply  that  to  everything  you  do." 

"  What  is  doing  all  .in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  ?  "  Norton  asked. 

"  Not  in  your  own  name ;  not  as  though 
you  were  your  own  master;  not  as  seeking 
first  your  own  pleasure  or  advancement;  not 


OPPORTUNITIES.  367 

as  using  your  own  things.  Correlatively,  for 
the  Lord;  for  his  pleasure,  for  his  service,  as 
belonging  to  him." 

"  'In  word  or  deed,'  "  said  Matilda.  "  That 
means  giving  and  everything." 

"  But  then,  in  religion  one  would  never  be 
free,"  said  Norton. 

"  How,  never  be  free  ?  " 

"  Why  one  must  act  as  if  one  never  be 
longed  to  oneself." 

"  We  don't,"  said  Mr.  Richmond.  "  We 
are  not  our  own  ;  we  are  bought  with  a  price. 
And  we  never  were  free  till  now." 

"  But  if  I  go  to  buy  a  coat "  —  said  Nor 
ton  ;  and  he  stopped. 

"  Yes,  if  you  go  to  buy  a  coat ;  you  will 
remember  that  you  and  the  coat  are  the 
Lord's  together ;  and  you  will  buy  that  coat 
which  you  think  is  the  one  he  would  like  you 
to  wear,  and  in  which  you  can  best  work  for 
him  ;  and  not  use  his  money  for  any  other." 

Norton  was  silent,  not  because  he  had  no 
thoughts  to  speak.  Matilda  was  silent,  but 


368  OPPORTUNITIES. 

with  a  very  different  face.  It  was  serious, 
sweet,  meditative,  and  content. 

"  I  see  how  it  is,  Mr.  Richmond,"  she  said 
at  last,  looking  up  to  his  face.  "  Thank  you, 
sir." 

"  It  is  very  nice  to  have  people  apply  ser 
mons  for  themselves,  Matilda,"  said  the  min 
ister. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

IV/riSS  REDWOOD  did  not  come  back 
the  next  morning  to  get  breakfast.  No 
sign  of  her.  Mr.  Richmond  and  Matilda 
managed  it,  between  them.  Norton,  I  am 
afraid,  was  not  up  till  Matilda  called  him,  and 
that  was  when  the  coffee  was  nearly  ready. 

Matilda  learned  how  to  get  breakfast  at  the 
parsonage,  and  Norton  learned  to  be  up  and 
help  her ;  for  they  made  a  long  stay  at  the  old 
brown  house.  Mrs.  Laval's  Swiss  servants 
were  all  down  with  ship  fever;  and  the  two 
children  were  forbidden  to  come  even  near  the 
house.  Mrs.  Laval  herself  staid  at  home  and 
did  what  she  could  for  the  sufferers ;  but  she 
and  Miss  Redwood  kept  house  alone  together. 
Not  a  servant  would  be  hired  to  come  within 

reach  of  the  dreadful  contagion;  and  not  a 
24 


370  OPPORTUNITIES. 

friend  thought  it  was  any  use  to  go  there  just 
then  to  see  anybody.  Mrs.  Laval  and  Miss 
Redwood  had  it  all  to  themselves,  with  no  one 
to  look  at  besides  but  Mr.  Richmond  and  the 
doctor.  Mr.  Richmond  came  to  them  con 
stantly. 

The  flow  of  human  sympathy  went  all  to 
the  house  with  the  brown  door.  It  was  re 
markable,  how  many  friends  were  eager  to 
know  how  the  children  got  on ;  and  how 
many  more  were  anxious  to  be  allowed  to 
come  in  to  help  Matilda. 

«  What  shall  I  do,  Mr.  Richmond?"  she 
would  say.  "  There  have  been  three  this 
morning." 

«  Who  were  they,  Tilly  ?  " 

"  Mrs.  Barth,  and  Miss  Van  Dyke,  and  Miss 
Spenser, —  O  there  were  four! — and  Ailie 
Swan." 

"  Do  you  want  Ailie  to  help  you  ?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Richmond ;  I  don't  want  any 
body,  but  Norton." 

"  Well,  I  don't.     You  may  tell  them  that 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  371 

we  do  not  want  anybody,  Matilda.  I  have 
seen  Mrs.  Pottenburg.  She  will  come  in  to 
scrub  floors  and  do  the  hard  work." 

So  for  several  weeks  the  two  children  and 
the  minister  kept  house  together ;  in  a  way 
highly  enjoyed  by  Matilda,  and  I  think  by  Mr. 
Richmond  too.  Even  Norton  found  it  oddly 
pleasant,  and  got  very  fond  of  Mr.  Richmond  ; 
who  he  declared  privately  to  Matilda  was  a 
brick  of  the  right  sort.  All  the  while  the  poor 
Swiss  people  at  Mrs.  Laval's  farmhouse  were 
struggling  for  life,  and  their  two  nurses  led  a 
weary,  lonely  existence.  Norton  sometimes 
wished  he  and  Matilda  could  get  at  the  grey 
ponies  and  have  a  good  drive  ;  but  Matilda 
did  not  care  about  it.  She  would  rather  not 
be  seen  out  of  doors.  As  the  weeks  went  on, 
she  was  greatly  afraid  that  her  aunt  would 
come  back  and  reclaim  her. 

And  Mrs.  Candy  did  come  back;  and 
meeting  Mr.  Richmond  a  day  or  two  after  her 
return,  she  desired  that  he  would  send  Matilda 
home  to  her.  She  had  just  learned  where  she 
was,  she  said. 


372  OP  FOR  TUNITIES. 

"  You  know  that  Matilda  has  been  exposed 
to  ship  fever  ?  "  said  Mr.  Richmond. 

"  No.     I  heard  she  was  at  your  house." 

"  But  not  until  she  had  been  in  the  house 
with  the  fever  patients,  and  nursing  them, 
before  any  one  knew  what  was  the  matter. 
Had  she  not  better  stay  where  she  is,  at  least 
until  we  can  be  certain  that  she  has  got  no 
harm  ?  " 

"  Well,  perhaps,"  said  Mrs.  Candy,  looking 
confused ;  —  "it  is  very  perplexing  ;  I  cannot 
expose  my  daughter  "  — 

"  She  will  stay  where  she  is,"  said  Mr. 
Richmond,"  for  the  present.  Good  morning." 

He  never  told  Matilda  of  this  encounter. 
And  before  another  week  had  gone,  Mrs. 
Candy  and  Clarissa  had  again  left  Shady- 
walk. 

So  week  after  week  went  by  peacefully. 
The  beautiful  days  of  October  were  all  past ; 
November  winds  came,  and  the  trees  were 
bare,  and  the  frosts  at  night  began  to  be 
severe.  The  sick  people  were  getting  better, 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  373 

and  terrible  qualms  of  fear  and  sorrow  now 
and  then  swept  over  Matilda's  heart.  Her 
aunt  would  surely  want  her  back  now,  and 
she  should  never  finish  her  visit  at  Mrs. 
Laval's ! 

One  day  she  was  in  Mr.  Richmond's  study, 
all  alone,  thinking  so.  There  was  a  flurry  of 
snow  in  the  air,  the  first  snow  of  the  season ; 
falling  thickly  on  the  grass,  and  eddying  in 
windy  circles  through  the  pine  trees.  Matilda 
had  knelt  in  a  chair  at  the  window  to  watch 
it,  with  that  spasm  of  fear  at  her  heart.  Now 
it  is  winter!  she  thought.  Aunt  Candy  must 
be  home  soon.  Yet  the  whirling  great  flakes 
of  snow  were  so  lovely,  that  in  a  few  minutes 
they  half  distracted  her  from  her  fear. 

It  came  back  again,  when  she  saw  Mr. 
Richmond  appear  from  the  end  of  the  church 
porch  and  make  his  way  across  the  snow 
towards  the  parsonage  door.  Matilda 
watched  him  lovingly  ;  then  was  possessed 
with  a  sudden  notion  that  he  was  bringing 
her  news.  He  walks  as  if  he  had  something 


374  OPPORTUNITIES. 

to  say,  she  said  to  herself;  and  he  will  come 
in  and  say  it. 

He  came  in  and  warmed  his  hands  at  the 
fire,  without  sitting  down ;  certainly  there 
was  an  air  of  business  about  him,  as  she  had 
thought.  Matilda  stood  watching  and  wait 
ing  ;  that  fear  at  her  heart. 

"  Where's  Norton?"  said  Mr.  Richmond. 

"  He  went  out  a  good  while  ago.  I  don't 
know,  sir." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  expected  to  hear  of 
your  aunt's  coming  home,  before  now,  Ma 
tilda?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  child.  He  watched 
her  furtively.  No  curiosity,  no  question ;  her 
face  settled  rather  into  a  non-expectant  state, 
as  if  all  were  fixed  for  her  for  ever.  A  look 
Mr.  Richmond  did  not  like  to  see. 

"  She  has  come  home." 

He  saw  the  colour  flit  on  Matilda's  cheek ; 
her  mouth  had  quitted  its  lines  of  peace  and 
gayety  and  become  firm ;  she  said  nothing. 

"  You  are  not  glad  to  hear  of  it,  Matilda." 


OPPORTUNITIES.  375 

"  No,  sir." 

"  It  is  no  pleasure  to  tell  you  of  it ;  but  it 
is  necessary.  How  do  you  feel  towards  her 
now?" 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  said  the  child  slowly,  "  I 
think  —  I  don't  hate  her  any  more." 

"  But  you  would  like  to  be  excused  from 
living  with  her  ?  " 

Matilda  did  not  reply;  no  answer  was 
necessary  to  so  self-evident  a  proposition ; 
the  child  seemed  to  be  gathering  her  forces, 
somehow,  mentally. 

"  Take  courage,"  said  her  friend.  "  I  have 
concluded  that  you  never  shall  live  with  her 
any  more.  That  is  at  an  end." 

He  saw  the  lightning  flash  of  delight  come 
into  Matilda's  eyes ;  a  streak  of  red  shewed 
itself  on  her  cheek ;  but  she  was  breathless, 
waiting  for  more  words  to  make  her  under 
stand  how  this  could  be,  or  that  she  had  heard 
right. 

"  It's  true,"  said  Mr.  Richmond. 

"  But—  how  then  ?  "  said  Matilda. 


376  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Mrs.  Laval  wants  you." 

"  Wants  me  ?  "  —  Matilda  repeated  anx 
iously. 

"  She  wants  you,  to  keep  you  for  her  own 
child.  She  lost  a  little  daughter  once.  She 
wants  you  to  be  in  that  little  daughter's  place, 
and  to  live  with  her  always." 

"  But,  aunt  Candy  will  not,"  —  said  Ma 
tilda,  «  she  will  not "  — 

"  Your  aunt  Candy  has  consented.  I  have 
arranged  .that.  It  is  safely  done, ,  Matilda. 
You  are  to  live  with  Mrs.  Laval  and  be  her 
child  from  henceforth." 

Matilda  still  looked  at  Mr.  Richmond  for 
a  minute  or  two,  as  if  there  must  be  words 
to  follow  that  would  undo  the  wonderful  tale 
of  these ;  but  seeing  that  Mr.  Richmond  only 
s»niled,  there  came  a  great  change  over  the 
child's  face.  The  fixedness  broke  up.  Yet 
she  did  not  smile ;  she  seemed  for  the  instant 
to  grow  grave  and  old ;  and  clasping  her  little 
hands,  she  turned  away  from  Mr.  Richmond 
and  walked  the  breadth  of  the  room  and  back. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  377 

Then  she  stood  still  again  beside  the  table, 
sober  and  pale.  She  looked  at  Mr.  Rich 
mond,  waiting  to  hear  more. 

"  It  is  all  true,"  said  her  friend. 

"  Is  it  for  always  ? "  Matilda  asked  in  a 
low  voice. 

"  Yes.  Even  so.  Mrs.  Laval  was  very  ear 
nest  in  wishing  it.  I  judged  you  would  not 
be  unwilling,  Matilda." 

The  child  said  nothing,  but  the  streak  of 
colour  began  again  to  come  into  her  cheeks. 

"You  are  now  to  be  Mrs.  Laval's  child. 
She  adopts  you  for  her  own.  In  all  respects, 
except  that  of  memory,  you  are  to  be  as  if 
you  had  been  born  hers." 

"  Does  Norton  know  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  spoken  to  him.  I  really  can 
not  tell." 

Again  silence  fell.  Matilda  stood  with  her 
eyes  downcast,  the  colour  deepening  in  each 
cheek.  Mr.  Richmond  watched  her. 

"  Have  I  done  right  ?  "    he  asked. 

"  You,  sir  ?  "  said  Matilda  looking  up. 


378  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  Yes.  Have  I  done  right  ?  I  have  made 
no  mistake  for  your  happiness  ?  " 

«Did?/ow  do  it,  sir?" 

"  Yes,  in  one  way.  Mrs.  Laval  wished  it ; 
I  arranged  it.  You  know  your  mother  left 
me  the  power.  Have  I  done  right?" 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  said  the  child  slowly,  "  I 
am  afraid  to  think." 

Her  friend  smiled  again,  and  waited  till  the 
power  of  speech  should  come  back. 

"Was  aunt  Candy  willing?"  she  said 
then. 

"  No,  I  do  not  think  she  was  willing.  I 
think  the  plan  was  not  agreeable  to  her.  But 
she  gave  her  consent  to  it.  The  reasons  in 
favour  of  the  plan  were  so  strong  that  she 
could  not  help  that." 

Matilda  privately  wondered  that  any  rea 
sons  could  have  had  so  much  weight ;  and 
rather  fancied  that  Mr.  Richmond  had  been 
the  strongest  reason  of  them  all. 

"  And  it  is  all  done  ?  "  she  said,  lifting  up 
her  eyes. 


OPPORTUNITIES.  379 

"  All  done.  Arranged  and  finished.  But 
Mrs.  Laval  is  afraid  to  have  you  come  home 
before  next  week." 

"  Mr.  Richmond,"  said  the  child,  coming 
close  and  stealing  her  hand  into  his,  "  I  am 
very  much  obliged  to  you  !  " 

Her  friend  sat  down  and  drew  his  arm 
around  her ;  and  Matilda's  other  hand  on  his 
shoulder,  they  were  both  still,  thinking,  for 
some  little  time. 

"Mr.  Richmond" —  Matilda  whispered,  I 
think  I  am  somebody  else." 

"  I  hope  not,  Tilly." 

"  Everything  in  the  world  seems  different." 

"  Very  naturally ;  but  you  can  keep  your 
self  yet,  I  trust.  If  I  thought  not,  I  should 
wish  the  whole  thing  undone." 

"  I  ought  to  be  better  "  —  said  Matilda. 

"  We  ought  always  to  be  better.  Circum 
stances  cannot  change  that.  Nothing-  happens, 
that  the  Lord  does  not  mean  shall  help  us  to 
be  better.  And  yet,  sometimes  circumstances 
seem  to  make  it  more  difficult." 


380  OPPORTUNITIES. 

«  These  don't,  Mr.  Richmond,  —  do  they  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Tilly.     They  may." 

"  How  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  forestall  them,  Tilly.  If  you 
watch,  you  will  soon  find  out,  whether  they 
do  or  not." 

"  Are  you  afraid  I  shall  be  different,  Mr. 
Richmond  ?  not  growing  better,  I  mean." 

"  I  have  not  seen  you  tried,  except  in  one 
way,  you  know." 

"  I  shall  have  more  opportunities ;  shall  I 
not,  Mr.  Richmond?" 

"  Different  opportunities.  You  have  had 
no  lack  of  them  so  far,  have  you  ?  " 

"  Of  one  sort,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  Ah,  but  remember,  my  child,  we  are  never 
without  opportunities  to  do  the  Lord's  will ; 
plenty  of  opportunities.  What  you  are  think 
ing  of  now,  is  opportunity  to  do  your  own 
will ;  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  helping  people,  and 
doing  things  for  those  who  have  no  money." 

"  Yes.     And  is  not  that  a  pleasure  ?  " 


OP  FOR  TUNITIES.  381 

"  O  yes,  sir." 

"  When  the  Lord  puts  it  out  of  our  power 
to  have  this  pleasure,  it  shews  that  those 
things  are  not  his  will  for  us  just  then  ;  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  What  is  our  opportunity  then  ?  " 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Mr.  Richmond. 
You  mean,  that  then  we  can  be  patient." 

"  And  content." 

"  Content  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  if  it  is  God's  will.  We  must  be 
content  always  to  do  that." 

u  But  I  suppose,"  said  Matilda,  "  I  shall, 
maybe,  have  more  chance  to  do  those  things, 
Mr.  Richmond." 

"  If  so,  I  hope  you  will  do  them.  But  I 
want  you  to  be  always  ready  to  do  all  the 
will  of  God.  It  is  easy  to  pick  out  a  pleasant 
duty  here  and  there,  or  an  unpleasant  duty 
even  ;  and  stand  ready  to  be  faithful  in  that. 
But  I  want  you  to  watch  and  be  faithful  in 
all  things ;  that  you  may  prove  what  is  that 
good  and  acceptable  and  perfect  will  of  God." 


382  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"  I  will  try,  Mr.  Richmond." 

"  In  every  change  of  circumstances,  Ma 
tilda,  we  find  both  new  opportunities  and 
new  difficulties.  God  has  something  new  for 
us  in  every  change.  The  thing  is,  to  be  ready 
for  it." 

"  How  can  one  always  find  out,  Mr.  Rich 
mond,  what  it  is  ?  " 

"  If  you  watch,  and  are  obedient,  the  Lord 
will  shew  it  to  you." 

Norton's  step  sounded  on  the  piazza.  Mr. 
Richmond  loosened  the  hold  of  his  arm,  and 
Matilda  rushed  off.  Not  so  fast  but  that  she 
stopped  midway  between  him  and  the  door 
and  said,  soberly,  — 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Richmond.  I  think  I 
understand.  I  will  try." 


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